Is it Then or Than?
by TheVerbalTypo
Summary: Student Teacher AU, Eren is failing English, and Levi brings him in for tutoring. For my dear Danielle/Heichou. Warning: M/M, M for a reason (they totally do the do)Eren is 17, so yes, he is technically underage. I apologise. Eventual angst. Potential triggers regarding homophobic slurs and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! As with all Ereri fics I've done as of late, this is also for Danielle! This is her favourite pairing and I do try to please!  
I would love some reviews, especially on the layout side of things, I don't know what layout is most comfortable so do tell :D  
I do not own SNK or any characters mentioned, unfortunately.  
Maybe one day.

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The tick tock noises blended with a chorus of yawns and sighs, pupils trying to stay awake and pay attention. Eren was one such student. English had never been his strongest subject, and some part of him had given up, despite tutoring from Armin and countless hours of study. Instead, he had gained routine, attempting to pay attention for the first ten minutes, and slowly allow his mind to wander until it was a blur of images and words, the time passing quickly. Today however, the snap of a pen on the desk drew Eren out of a daydream.  
"Well, Jaeger?"  
"Ehh…"  
"Allow me to repeat, try listening this time." Eren's mouth went dry, he hated dealing with Levi.  
"Which instance is correct in…" Levi gestured at the white board "…this example?"  
"Uh…." Eren cleared his throat.  
""Then"?" Levi made a small "tch" noise under his breath.  
"Incorrect again, Jaeger. Stay after class."  
As Levi walked away, Eren felt a blush creep over his cheeks. Since he had first discovered his interest in the same gender, and this man had begun teaching his English class, he had developed a crush on him. It had begun as lust, the odd erection disrupting his attention in classes, warranting frequent bathroom breaks to take care of them. But it had developed, and he had found himself wanting to spend more and more time with the older man, noticing his small habits, yet still bewildered as to how he could hold a cup like that and not spill the contents on himself. Levi intrigued him to no end. And the idea of spending time alone with him…

The end of the class came far too quickly, Eren's stomach twisted itself into tight coils.  
As the class cleared, he approached the desk apprehensively. Levi was rifling through tests, seemingly ignoring him. "Jaeger, you are failing this class." The words caused a stir of panic in Eren's stomach. "Are you receiving any tutoring outside of school?" It was strange to see Levi playing the concerned teacher.  
"Y-yes, from Armin, Armin Arlert."  
"Well, you need more."  
"I…uh…"  
"Because you're failing, you will receive detention. But I will help you." Levi sat back, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "I expect a vast improvement, Jaeger, there will be no fooling around."  
"Yes, sir, thank you!" Eren bowed his head slightly.  
"Starting tomorrow, bring lunch. You're dismissed."  
Bowing slightly again, Eren rushed for the door, his cheeks once again marred in red.

His journey home was a long one, flooded with images that were none too clean, his pace quickening, almost jogging by the time he reached his door.  
Shouting a quick hello, he ran to his room, dropping his bag, trousers and underwear quickly. He pressed his back to the door, his teeth clamping on his left hand as his right reached to grip his length, pumping slowly at first, his head lolling back against the door, his hips jerking forward every so often, imagining the ebony haired man's grip replacing his own. He knew he would submit to him, in fact, the very idea had appealed to him on several quiet nights.  
He gripped tighter, his breath speeding up in time with his fist, grunts finally spitting from his throat to his hand. He could feel his heart speeding up, a familiar tension building in his stomach as his images of Levi became filthier, imagining his hips snapping against his own, fingers digging in, one hand fisted in his hair. With the final image, he let out a long groan, something resembling Levi's name slipping over his lips as white streams spilled from the tip of his manhood.  
Eren panted slowly, cleaning himself up quickly so as not to make his parents suspicious. While washing his hands, he heard his mother call his name for dinner.

At least his timing was decent.

News of his new tutor had not made his parents as angry as he thought, instead they encouraged it, eager to see their son succeed, as opposed to see his disheartened expression at every grade. Eren, however, was still anxious, he knew how hormones could be, especially when left alone with him. It wasn't as if he was entirely innocent, he was no longer a virgin, he had had a few random experiences with his friend Mikasa, mostly to keep the hormones out of the way. They had drunkenly kissed at a party the year before and a few weeks later, he found himself waking up next to her after a night of alcohol fueled sex, and they just never stopped. When they met with mutual friends, they woke up together the next morning without fail. It had become almost a ritual.  
An extremely unhealthy, unfulfilling ritual.  
His next morning, a Friday, begun with a strange sensation of worry and excitement once again. The idea of his detention once again drew both emotions from him, as well as one of lust. And as the hours ticked by painfully slow, he felt it rise painfully up his throat, his heart pounding as the bell finally signaled their lunch hour. He had alerted Armin to his new tutor and he was happier for him than expected. It was really a break for Armin. As he approached Levi's office, his heart was going crazy. His mouth went dry and he realized how unsure of himself he really was. The door drew nearer and nearer and his breathing was becoming shallow. It would be a wonder if he even survived knocking on the door. At that moment, Levi exited his office, pushing his hair back from his face and straightening his tie immediately after.  
"Jaeger, good. I was about to go looking for you, detention is moved to this evening after classes, a meeting came up. 4pm, my office."  
Levi left as quickly as he arrived, and Eren was let lost yet relieved. He had a few hours to learn to control his breathing. Maybe he could borrow Armin's inhaler. He returned to his friends in the cafeteria, Mikasa raising an eyebrow and Armin tilting his head.  
"It was moved until this evening."  
He glanced at Armin, the only person who knew his interest in Levi. Armin returned his look, with one that almost asked if he was okay. Mikasa merely stared lazily with a mixture of boredom and lust.  
"So does that mean you're not coming out tonight?"  
It was her time speaking since he had sat down.  
"Hmm, I don't know. I want to try but I don't know how late I will be."  
He moved to his lunch, taking a bite of his sandwich.  
"Do try, apparently Annie's parents are away this weekend and Reiner has convinced her to throw a party."  
He smiled through his full mouth, he loved house parties. Lunch was spent with Eren's worry hidden in the back of his mind, But as the day flowed by, it crept back, and the final bell kicked the anxiety back into his stomach. He walked quickly, terrified of losing his nerve. His phone was out as he waited for Levi to respond, texting his mother to let her know about his delay.  
"No phones on school grounds, Jeager" He jumped at the sudden vocal invasion. "S-sorry, sir, I was just telling my mom why I'd be late."  
With a small "tch" noise, Levi stepped back to allow him in, and he realized it was the first time he'd seen it. He had seen plenty other teachers office, they always had pictures of families and little souvenirs littered around the shelves and desks. But not Levi. His room was clean, almost clinically so.  
"Sit."  
He immediately obeyed, crossing the room to sit at the table.  
"Now." Levi pulled a chair next to him. "Your main problem is words with multiple forms, like "your" and "you're" and "then" and "than""  
Eren settled his pad and pens on the table and took a breath.  
"We'll start with "your" and "you're"". Levi leaned back, crossing his legs, and putting an arm over the back of his own and Eren's chair. The finger lightly brushing his back put him on alert, his entire body tensing. This was going to be a tough evening.

Almost an hour passed and Levi stretched, quickly checking his watch. "Well, that's a lot for today. I think you're starting to get it. Monday, I think after class will suit again. Less stress, hmm?" He stood after his rhetorical question, rolling his shoulders as Eren watched, mouth hanging open. He shook his head to wake himself up again.  
"Eh, yes, yeah" He stood as he packed his bag. "Eh, Eren?" Eren glanced up questioning. "You will be fine. Grammar takes time."  
He held the door open for Eren, his hand glanced over Eren's back as he left, causing a quick shiver and a twitch in his trousers. "See you Monday." Levi left quickly and Eren let out a loud sigh of relief.  
_One day down._

The party that night was almost forgotten by Eren until he got a text from Armin asking if he would still be attending. He text back a quick yes and jumped into the shower, throwing on a shirt and jeans and making his way to Annie's house. A beer was handed to him by Armin as he entered and he prepared himself for a long night, even though thoughts of Levi still bugged him.

Levi flopped onto his couch, in his small, neat apartment. He loosened his tie and checked his phone quickly. It had been 5.30 before he got home and upon arriving, he realized he had forgotten to do his grocery shopping, and was lacking in a variety of essential items. After hellish traffic, human and automobile, he didn't return home until 8pm, Friday was the busiest night for grocery shopping. Pulling his tie off, he stood, preparing to make some much needed tea. But he stopped. Had he remembered to get tea? He opened the cupboard and let out a long, loud groan.  
He was out. Completely.  
He pulled off his jacket, he wouldn't need it for this trip. He rolled up his shirt sleeves, grabbed his keys and left, slamming the door. The traffic was just as bad and the human traffic within the store was worse. It was 9pm before he was back in the car. As he left the carpark, and pulled to join the traffic, everything stopped. And it did not change. 30 minutes later and he was still in the same place, tapping his fingers against the wheel and grinding his teeth.  
Another 15 minutes and nothing had changed. The chorus of beeping had become one monotonous drone that only served to make his anger a bit worse. Finally, after an hour of sitting in traffic, it started to move. He struggled to keep at the speed limit and as traffic came to another half an hour stop, he was feeling his nerve wear thin.  
Finally, after almost two hours of attempting to get home, he was at the home stretch. And yet again a disturbance came. This time in the form of a teenager tripping off of the footpath and onto the road. He screeched to a half and got out of the car to see if he was okay.  
"Oi, brat. Get up." He gripped the teens arm and pulled him up, recognising those bright green eyes immediately.

"Jaeger?"


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews and favourites guys! -group hugs everyone at once- I am so happy that people are enjoying it so much, you're all wonderful! So, I go on!

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"Jaeger?"

Levi frowned  
"Levi~?" His name came out in a singsong fashion, his eyes glossy and his breath stinking. "Are you drunk?" He frowned.  
"No, no, n-no, just…wobbly or something" he broke into giggles, and Levi rolled his eyes.  
"Alright, on your feet." He pulled him up and towards the footpath. "Eren, can you stand by yourself?""hehehe you called me Eren! You never call me anything except Jaeger. And I never call you anything but "sir"! Wait…I called you Levi a second ago…." Fear smeared his face and immediately he launched into an apology. "I am so sorry, sir! I am oh God!" "Eren, shut up. I am not leaving you out here in this state." "No!" He begun resisting. "My parents cannot know! They'll kill me!"  
"And what do you expect me to do?" He snapped, gripping Eren's wrist harder.  
"Take me to your house! I can repay you, I swear!" Eren was close, gripping his shirt.  
"Not happening, brat." Eren sat on the ground. "Then I'm not moving."  
"Eren." He almost growled.  
"Levi" Eren returned, smiling sweetly and Levi couldn't deny the feeling that spread through his crotch.  
"Fine. Come on." He grabbed Eren's arm, who took to dancing along the street in celebration and singing loudly. Shoving him unceremoniously into the passenger seat, Levi ran a hand through his hair. He knew it was wrong to want Eren, especially while he was drunk, but he couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of attraction to the younger. His eyes were the highlight of his day, and since detention had begun, he had grown worried about his own actions. He promised himself that Eren would sleep in the spare room.  
Eren nodded off in the car on the way there, and waking him up was a trial. He was becoming worried that he would have to carry him in. He woke up groggy but still very much drunk. Levi shushed him several times on the way to the apartment, and by the time they reached the door, Eren was whispering loudly but had no problem rushing into Levi's apartment. Levi immediately switched on the kettle.  
"Tea?" He offered more out of habit than anything.  
"Sure" Eren was lazily stumbling around, eventually landing on the couch. He prepared the tea quickly, adding a little more sugar to Eren's than his own., as well as adding a little cold water to ensure the teen didn't burn himself.  
"He placed it on the table in front of him and moved to sit in the adjacent armchair.  
"No, Levi~" He pouted.  
"What?"  
"Sit here" Eren sang once more and Levi sighed, switching to sit next to him, legs automatically crossing and arm moving to lie across the back of the couch. "Yay!" Eren exclaimed just a little too loudly.  
"Eren, be quiet."  
"Sorry!" He whispered, his head falling towards Levi's shoulder. Levi froze.  
"Eren, what are you doing?"  
"I love it when you say my name" he purred in response.  
"Eren. What. Are. You doing?"  
"Just resting."  
His head finally met the front of Levi's shoulder, snuggling closer to him.  
"You…" Levi swallowed imaginary liquid. "Eren, you can't do that, you're my student."  
"But there's no one here, so it doesn't matter!" Eren sounded more than content with his position, so Levi resolved to just drink his tea as quickly as he could. Eren sipped his slowly, and let out a long moan, sending jolts to Levi's trousers once more.  
"Your tea is amaaaaaaaaazing!" Eren groaned, sipping again and not missing the opportunity to torture the older with another moan. Levi gulped down the rest of his tea.  
"Time for bed, Eren." He stood quickly, allowing Eren to fall onto the couch.  
"Okay!" He stood enthusiastically, following Levi. He turned off lights and prepared everything that may need so, while Eren shuffled impatiently. Walking him down the corridor, he pointed to the guest room.  
"You can sleep in there. Wake me when you wake, if it's before me"  
"Levi I need to pee!" Eren blurted out.  
"In there." He pointed across to the opposite door.  
"Thank you!"  
"Okay, goodnight Eren."  
"Night Levi!" before he could stop him, Eren's arms were around his neck, hugging him tightly before slipping away to the bathroom. Levi let out a sigh and got to his own room, stripping slowly until he wore nothing but his boxers, and slipped into the clean, fresh bed. He turned on his side and let his eyes slip shut. He begun to doze off, when he heard a door opening and clicking shut.  
_Probably Eren going to bed _he thought, and allowed his mind to wander further to the boy, the tent growing in his boxers and rolling onto his back. His hand wandered over his abs, to cup his length through his boxers.

Until he heard the door open.

His hand shot away as the still swaying teen poked a head in, and tip toed his way into the room.  
"Leviiiiii?" He whispered, pulling the blankets back.  
"Go to bed, brat."  
"But it's cold in there and lonely and I want to sleep with youuuuuuu~" he sung once more, sliding into Levi's bed.  
"Eren, go to the guest room."  
"But, sir, please" once the "sir" was announced he couldn't resist.  
"Tch, fine, just…stay over there." Levi groaned, massaging the bridge of his nose.  
"Yay thank you!" Eren pressed a quick, sloppy kiss to Levi's cheek before curling up. Levi however, couldn't move. He didn't trust the younger boy to keep to himself in the slightest, but what else could he do but keep him happy. He could of course sleep on the couch. Levi turned slowly, trying not to wake the lightly snoring Eren as he pulled himself from the blankets.  
"Leviiiiiiii" Eren's arms wrapped themselves around him and pulled him back.  
"You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself brat." His teeth clenched at the skin to skin contact.  
"Hmm are you complaining, _sir?_" His emphasis on the "sir" caused the already prominent bulge to harden and Eren's movement to press his chest to Levi's back made it worse.  
"I think you kind of like it." The whispers were threatening to drive Levi over the edge.  
"No, Eren. You're a student. You need to calm down or I can't allow you to stay again." Levi froze at his own choice of words.  
"There was going to be an again?" Eren chuckled as his tongue poked at Levi's earlobe.  
"I already have to pay you back for this time." Eren's hand palming his crotch woke Levi up completely,  
"Eren, stop." The last word came out as a groan as Eren's hand gripped the shaft.  
"Nah, I think you're enjoying it, _sir_, even if you don't want to say it." Now his teeth gripped his lobe and his hand stroked Levi lightly.  
"I can make it better~" the tone the younger had taken was making Levi crazy with lust and somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice saying _fuck it_ and he gave in. He stood abruptly, letting Eren fall onto his hands on the bed, looking mildly defeated. Levi couldn't help but smirk at the look in the lust-filled boys eyes.  
"You have no idea what you're in for, brat." He gripped Eren's chin and forced him to look up.  
"Then let me find out!" Eren's hand gripped his boxers and tugged, a small gasp slipping over his lips at the sight.  
For a short man, he was well endowed, in girth and length, and Eren found himself unsure of how to approach the situation. Figuring it couldn't be much different than being alone, he slowly pumped the older mans length, his tongue poking over his lips to taste. It was bitter but somehow enjoyable, and Eren took a breath and wrapped his lips around the head, pulling a hiss from Levi.  
Eren pressed forward, taking as much as he could as a hand tangled itself in his hair. He felt his gag reflex beginning to act and pulled back, tongue swirling over the tip before placing a hand on Levi's hip to pull him towards him. The volume of grunts from Levi grew and before long, Eren could feel another hand grip his head and Levi's hips bucking every so often. His own arousal was almost painful from lack of attention. He allowed his hand to trail over his stomach and grip himself through his jeans.  
Without warning, Levi pulled his hips back and popped free of his mouth. He gripped Eren's chin again, pulling him up to a rough kiss, fingers trailing over the tawny skin of Eren's neck before realizing the boy was still very much clothed. He broke the kiss for a moment, tugging the shirt over Eren's head and quickly moving to work on the button that held his jeans closed. Eren begged silently for more kisses, instead peppering them over Levi's pale shoulder.  
Within moments, his jeans and underwear were being shoved down, and his length was pulled to meet Levi's. He groaned as Levi raised three fingers to his lips, Eren greedily took them in his mouth, his tongue working over and between them. Levi's other hand occupied his rear, squeezing lightly and nipping his neck. Eren let out small moans against the digits, and almost as quickly as it had begun, they were removed, his lips once again captured by Levi's.  
Eren moved his arms around Levi's neck, but froze as he felt a finger poking gently at his entrance. He had neglected to tell Levi this was a first. Before he could break to warn him however, Levi's index finger had intruded, urging pants and gasps from Eren. It felt strange but somehow enjoyable, as though he was being stretched.  
Then he realized that was exactly what was happening.  
But before a second finger joined the first. He groaned at the feeling, Levi knew what he was doing, and Eren's only experience had been alone. He still pressed back against the fingers, the feeling becoming more and more pleasurable. Suddenly, he was on his back, and he questioned whether that was the fault of the alcohol or Levi. Though judging from the older man's move to get some lube from a drawer, it was the latter.  
Eren continued to prepare himself, reaching his arm behind his leg and slowly slipping his fingers in, pumping slowly, head lolling back against the sheets. His eyes were about to close when he noticed how stiff Levi had become, watching his every move. Eren took the opportunity to put on a small show, his back arching and his free hand gripping his own arousal. He moaned freely, a chuckle hidden behind it until he felt the bed dip at either side of him. Levi was above him, silently nudging his hand from his behind, to make room for his now lube-covered length.  
He pressed the tip to Eren's entrance and pushed slowly. Eren groaned, partly from pain. Alcohol still kept him dizzy and almost distant, but the older mans hands gripping his hips tightly reminded him that he was getting what he had wanted for so long. Levi pushed in completely, taking a moment to wait for Eren to adjust. His hips bucking down to Levi's and his arms gripping around his neck told him to move. He pulled out and snapped his hips forward, Eren's moans filling the air. The sound forced him to move faster and he pulled at Eren's hips to change the angle, eager to hit where he knew would make his birdy sing.  
A yelp of Levi's name told him he hit it.  
Holding the angle, he pounded repeatedly, burying his head in the crook of Eren's neck, nibbling and sucking, eager to mark his caramel skin. He felt warmth pool in his stomach, and he realized he was getting close. He reached between them to grip Eren's length, and stroked, forcing longer, louder moans, incoherent words from Eren, and within moments, he came over their stomachs. The sound of Eren moaning his name, and the feeling of his fingertips digging into the skin of his shoulders sent Levi over the edge, and he came with a grunt. Eren panted below him, and he fell to the side, forearm resting over his forehead, gasping for air. But he knew he couldn't sleep in a bed this messy.  
"Eren, get up."  
"Aren't we going to cuddle?" Levi sighed, but couldn't hide his smirk.  
"Yes, but we need to change these sheets, and you need to wash off. Go, I'll change the bedclothes while you clean yourself off." Eren obeyed for the first time tonight, and stumbled towards the en-suite bathroom. Levi sighed again, thankful he had extra bedsheets.  
By the time Eren returned, Levi had changed the covers and made the bed completely. Eren lazily wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and rested his head on his shoulder.  
"Levi, can we sleep now, pleeeeeeeeease?" Levi chuckled.  
"Get in, I have to wash myself off." "Don't be long!" Eren slipped into the bed and snuggled in close.  
_He'll be asleep by the time I return _Levi thought. While washing Eren's juices from his stomach, what had happened hit Levi. He felt his body freeze and his heart pound.  
_I had sex with a student. Not just a student, but a _drunk_ student.  
_The chains of guilt tightened around his chest and he couldn't help the panic that spread through him. If this got out he would be in a lot of trouble, he could go to jail. He returned to his room, sleep unlikely to come with such a horrid revelation, but once he laid eyes on the tussled brown hair resting on the pillow beside his own, he felt almost peaceful.  
And he decided he would just worry about it tomorrow.

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-hides face- I had so much fun writing drunk Eren! But I'm sorry for them being so horny the second they're alone. As always, reviews are appreciated, and I will see you guys next week :D


	3. Chapter 3

This is the first time I've been capable of reasonably regular updates. As always, reviews are appreciated and thank you to everyone who is following and favouriting and I hope you guys enjoy! :D

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Eren's eyes fluttered open as bright sunlight filled the room. He rolled away from the intrusion, further into foreign arms. He nuzzled close, assuming it was Mikasa. Then, along with the pain in his head, everything came to him. He remembered Annie's party. He remembered leaving Annie's party. Tripping on his way out. Getting into a car. The shot of pain that ran up his spine reminded him of the final acts of the evening. He gasped and felt his face turn bright red, he had begged Levi to be with him. What was he thinking? What should he do now? What would he tell his friends about where he had gone? What would he tell his parents?! He turned to roll out of the bed, some part ashamed of himself. Why had he been so pathetic? Before he could leave, he felt Levi's arm drape over his waist and pull him closer.  
"Leaving without so much as a "good morning", brat?" Levi's breath tickled his ear, sending shivers down his spine.  
"N-no. I'm just…" he felt his blush spread further, down his neck.  
"I know." The silence was unbearable. "Eren, we can't tell anyone."  
Eren nodded. "I know."  
"And this shouldn't happen again." Levi unravelled himself from Eren and walked towards the shower. He paused. "You can shower first, I'll make the bed."  
Eren nodded and shuffled to the bathroom with his head down, trying to hide himself. Levi sighed after he had passed, and turned to make the bed. It only took a few moments before Eren poked his head out of the bathroom door.  
"Eh, Le-sir? How do I use your shower?" Levi chuckled and dropped the sheets. Their shoulders brushed as he passed Eren, and he shivered at the shock of unexpected contact. He pulled the switch then clicked the "start" button.  
"Use the dials to adjust. Feel free to use anything around."  
The "thanks" that Eren whispered was barely heard. Levi glanced over his shoulder as he reached the door and as Eren stepped into the shower. He watched the water flow over the boys lightly tanned back, flowing over the small bruises he had left on his hips the night before. Levi felt his breaths deepen and he realised he was erect. He wanted to take the boy again. He felt awful for it, he almost hated himself for wanting someone this badly, much worse someone so young.  
Eren's hands massaged the back of his neck and shoulders. Levi swallowed, and took a step back towards the shower. Once more couldn't make things worse, right?  
He wanted Eren even more than he had last night, but he thought of how much trouble he could already be in. He bit his lip and tried to turn away. Eren turned slightly, drawing attention to his own erection. The sight caused the older man to drop all resolve.  
He paced to the shower and wrapped pale arms around Eren, who jumped a little on the contact. As Levi started kissing over the curve of his neck, he groaned, automatically arching against the older man, his hands reaching back to grip his hips as his own rolled back against him.  
"Y-you said it couldn't happen again…" Eren breathed, sounding almost relieved.  
"Let's say it can't happen again after you leave this apartment." Levi nipped Eren's neck.  
"Then maybe I shouldn't leave." Eren tried to keep the statement inside, but Levi made him feel something very different.  
It was almost opposite to Mikasa. Their relationship was built on lust and boredom but Levi treated his body like a temple, a temple to be worshiped in any way his mouth could manage. His hands rolled over Eren's toned stomach, kisses reaching his shoulder blades, fingertips causing Eren to giggle. "What is it, brat?" Levi's voice invading his ear made him gasp. But he knew that two could play at that game. He pressed his rear to Levi's length and glanced over his shoulder.  
"Nothing, _sir_."  
With that one word the atmosphere changed, it was filled with tension that begged to be broken. Eren turned, his arms slipping around Levi's waist. The thought itself was still so new and strange but it felt perfect. Like they matched in the strangest of ways. Levi's arms moved to wrap around his neck, hands burying themselves in his hair and tugging him into a soft kiss. It was gentler than what they had previously dealt in, but it made Eren's heart pound. He pulled Levi closer, his tongue gently caressing Levi's, the surge of emotion coursing through his body was far more intense than anything he had ever experienced. He never wanted the feeling to leave.  
But, all too quickly it was replaced with a new feeling. Levi's hand gripping his erection.  
"I think I should repay you for last night. Besides, I doubt you've ever gotten decent head." Levi dropped to his knees and took all of Eren in his mouth, forcing a groan from the younger. Levi relaxed his jaw, ignoring the whispers of his gag reflex, and allowed Eren to slip over the back of his tongue. Judging from the moan of his name, it was a first for Eren.  
He allowed Eren to pull back, and took him to the hilt once more, his hands gripping the marks he had made the night before. He gripped Eren's cheeks firmly, pulling and pushing his hips lightly, forcing him to submit to Levi's pace. The teenager was gasping and moaning loudly, one hand gripping Levi's hair, the other gripping one of his wrists. He wanted to suggest something. He wanted Levi inside him again, but he didn't know how to ask for such a thing.  
"Le-Levi?" The "mmph" noise Levi made in return, vibrated over the tip of his member, urging yet another groan from him.  
"I-I want you inside me again…" his voice trailed off towards the end, he wasn't even sure Levi had heard him for a moment. Before he could register the situation, Levi had allowed him to pop out of his mouth, and was already on his feet, kissing Eren with more passion than he could comprehend.  
"Are you sure you can cope? I was a little…rough last night" he winced a little.  
Eren didn't bother to reply, only leaned in for another kiss while eagerly gripping Levi's erection. He groaned in response.  
"Fine, brat. You've convinced me." Levi stepped back, and grabbed a bottle of lube from just outside the shower.  
"How many bottles do you even have?"  
"Would you rather I went in dry?" The almost sadistic smirk caused Eren to grimace. "Exactly"  
He tipped Eren's chin lightly and squirted a generous amount onto his hand, rubbing it over both.  
"Bend over, brat."  
"Can you stop calling me that?" Eren snickered as he turned around.  
"Fine, bend over, _sweetheart_." Sarcasm was dripping from his voice, but somehow the petname sent shivers through Eren. Bracing himself against the wall, Eren arched his back, showing himself off to Levi. Levi placed a row of kisses up his back to his shoulders. He pressed his index finger to Eren's opening and pushed in, Eren's hips pushed back immediately. His excitement encouraged Levi to pick up the pace, and he slipped in another finger, his kisses still covering his shoulders. He moved towards Eren's neck, leaving small bite marks, sucking lightly. Eren let out a low groan, fingers tensing against the wall, nails almost trying to dig in. His third addition made Eren groan louder than before, pushing himself back on Levi's fingers harder, eager to get him to brush the spot he had met last night.  
"Tell me what you want, Eren." Levi's husky voice made him groan once more.  
"F-fu- ahh!" He couldn't bring himself to say it and the pleasure of Levi glancing against that beautiful select spot inside him.  
"I won't go near it again if you don't tell me." His teeth grazed Eren's ear lobe.  
"F-please fuck me, sir!" The words came out in a jumble, tightly strung together in an almost indecipherable combination, but Levi understood. He removed his fingers and leaned forward, slicking his length with more lube and pressing against Eren's entrance.  
"Good boy"  
The words were the most arousing Eren had ever experienced, and was quickly followed by the feeling of Levi pressing into him.  
"Ahhh Levi!" Rough hands gripped his hips again and he felt a swift slap to his behind.  
The sound of Levi's hips slapping against his own bounced from the walls, and one hand left the wall to reach behind him, gripping whatever part of Levi's flesh he could. One of Levi's hands left Eren's hip and held the hand that had reached back. He admired the water rolling over the younger man's back. Levi pounded harder and faster, Eren's moans acting as an aphrodisiac. He kissed the teens back again, letting his hand fall and reaching to grip his leaking member. Eren gasped, thrusting into Levi's hand.  
"Le-Levi…I'm going to cum…" Eren's whimpers made Levi groan. He kissed every section he could reach, whispering into his young lovers ear.  
"Cum for me, Eren. Come on." Eren obeyed, letting out a long moan.  
"Levi!" The feeling of Eren tightening around him was divine, his vision clouded and his eyes clenched shut as he released into Eren, letting out a long groan. He rested his forehead against Eren's back, panting hard.  
"You're gonna be the death of me, brat."  
"I don't think you'd complain too much." Eren chuckled and Levi stood back, giving him the chance to stand. When he eventually did, his legs were shaking and he was leaving out a long breath. Levi however, had already begun to wash. Eren watched the way the water and soap flowed over his body. He couldn't understand how someone so beautiful could want anything to do with him. He frowned as he remembered that after today, they wouldn't have anything more to do with each other. Back to being student and teacher. He couldn't say he wasn't disappointed by the idea, but he knew he could enjoy even a few more hours.  
Levi turned to wash his hair, and Eren took the opportunity to massage the soap over his back, his fingers working through the tight knots, a low sound in the back of Levi's throat encouraging him to continue. The teacher glanced over his shoulder.  
"Where did you learn to give massages?" Eren shrugged  
"Dunno, just…always knew how to. I hope it's not too awful." Eren's voice trailed off with worry.  
"It's great. The best I've had if I'm honest." Eren blushed and continued down Levi's back. The smaller stepped back to be closer to Eren, and looked up at the green eyed boy. He ran a finger under his chin and sighed.  
"Eren, we have to get you home." Eren repeated his sigh.  
"I know." Eren waited a moment.  
"Are you sure we can't do this again?" Eren's voice was barely a whisper but Levi knew.  
"We shouldn't…" "But does that really mean we can't..?"  
"Well in the eyes of the law, we can't."  
"But we already have…"  
"Eren, you're making it difficult"  
"I know, it's intentional."  
"Look." Levi turned and looked up at Eren. "I've already broken the law, you're underage. If we get caught, I will go to jail, do you understand that?"  
"Well, yes, but…but if we keep it a secret."  
"We can't Eren."  
"What about when I'm 18…"  
It was something Levi hadn't considered.  
"When?"  
"In a few months, March."  
Levi thought. It gave the boy time to move on, to learn he should be with someone his own age. If he still wanted him, Levi would be more than willing to continue. But there was still the matter of keeping his hands off of the boy.  
"Okay."  
Eren's eyes lit up.  
"Really?!"  
"Yes but you must not tell a soul of what's happened, not even your closest friends."  
"Yes, sir"  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
"All touching is off limits from the second you leave this house."  
"Okay."  
"I mean it Eren. When we leave, I am back to being your teacher. Detention will be spent learning, and I won't go any easier on you in class."  
"Understood" Eren faked a salute and Levi rolled his eyes once more. He clicked the switch for the shower and ushered Eren out. He threw a towel to him, and dried off, forming a plan for how he would get Eren out of the house unnoticed.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay guys! These last few weeks have been SO full of college work, but now I am back on track! As always, reviews are appreciated!

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Getting Eren out of the house unnoticed proved easier than originally thought. Before long, they were in Levi's car on their way to drop Eren off…somewhere. They hadn't quite cleared that part up yet.  
"Where will I drop you?"  
"I dunno."  
"Eren, you're not helping."  
"I know."  
Levi let out a sigh. He didn't want Eren to leave either, but he knew it was better if he left sooner rather than later.  
"Look, how about the mall? It's close to where you live, right?"  
Eren shrugged.  
"I guess."  
"Eren, I know you're not too happy about the arrangement but there's only so much I can do without getting in trouble. I want you, I do, but we can surely wait a few months."  
"I know, I just…" the younger took a moment to think "I just didn't want it to end so soon. I know I was very VERY drunk last night, but I still remember how it felt to finally be with you like that, and I just hate that it has to end before it's even started."  
Eren sunk lower in his seat and pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself. They had come to a stop, traffic lights he assumed. He suddenly felt Levi's hand on his own, tugging it away from his chest, and cradling it lightly.  
"It hasn't ended, nothing has ended. Just…postponed. Look on the bright side. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that shit."  
Levi looked uncomfortable saying those words, but he tried nonetheless to make Eren feel better about the absence they would face. Or at least the return to normality. The days would be counted down by both until they could even embrace once more, and no matter how compelled they were to beg for more, they knew better. Even holding hands was too much right now. Levi was thankful Eren didn't put up an argument because he wasn't entirely sure of how much he could refuse the boy.  
"Just stay optimistic, I'm sure you can keep it in your pants until then."  
An angry beep from behind them forced a string of swears from Levi as he took off, hand still clasped around Eren's. The younger boy ran the index finger of his free hand in small swirling patterns over Levi's. He didn't want to wait, no matter how much trouble they could get in. He knew he could push Levi, but he decided against it. It would only end up with them getting hurt or upset and the idea of ending this completely was too much for Eren right now.  
They got to the shopping centre, Levi knew they were close to Eren's house, and he spotted Armin and Jean on the sidewalk.  
"Eren, as much as I would love to keep you, I'm leaving you off in there. Your friends are nearby, think of a good excuse, and remember, not for a few months. Okay?"  
Eren nodded rather sombrely as Levi pulled into the parking lot, seeking a space. Their hands were still locked together, and Eren's finger still tickled Levi's hand.  
"Okay" he whispered.  
Levi squeezed Eren's hand lightly.  
"You'll be fine."  
He separated himself from Eren to park the car and waited for a moment.  
"Eren."  
"Mmm?"  
"Promise me something?"  
Eren perked up.  
"Of course"  
"Do not DARE try anything in school. Or I swear I will cut it off."  
Eren chuckled.  
"I'll try my best."  
Eren moved to get out of the car, but stopped as he felt Levi's hand on his arm.  
He looked back at his teacher, who was glancing around.  
"Wha-" he was cut off by Levi gripped his shirt and pulled him into a kiss, his tongue immediately pressing through Eren's parted lips and sliding against his tongue, before parting almost immediately.  
"Now, get out of my sight brat."  
Levi ran a hand through his hair, visibly flustered by the kiss. Eren considered groping him quickly to tease him, but decided against it.  
"Bye, Levi."  
"Bye, brat."  
Eren got out of the car and turned left, towards where his friends were strolling. Levi watched him leave, his head gently bumped against the steering wheel and he spoke out loud.  
"What the fuck are you doing, Levi?"

Eren joined him friends quickly, no excuse was needed, though the two seemed a bit jumpy when he showed up. They went for lunch in the mall, to a small sandwich and salad place. Only then did his friends think to question his sudden arrival. Jean was munching loudly through his barbeque chicken sandwich when the thought struck him.  
"Hey, Eren, what were you doing anyway?"  
"Mmphm?" Eren replied through a mouth full of turkey and cheese.  
"When we ran into you, where were you going? You were walking away from your house so…"  
Eren felt the tips of his ears glow red.  
"Eh, I was walking back from a friend's." He could feel Armin staring at him.  
"Which friend's…?" Armin asked, clearly suspicious.  
"Mikasa's" he replied, not missing a beat. Armin opened his mouth to make another comment, but quickly closed it. Jean popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth.  
"Back 'n a sec" he said, rising from the table. As soon as he was out of sight, Armin leaned forward and pinched Eren's ear in a similar fashion to his mother.  
"Ow, Armin!"  
"I know you're lying, Eren. Who were you with?" Armin looked serious. And he was scary when he was serious.  
"Look I'll explain later okay? Just let me go!" Armin let go, and glared at Eren.  
"I'm holding you to that."  
Eren took the opportunity to chagne the subject.  
"Since when are you and Jean buddies anyway?" Armin blush bright red as Jean reappeared, leaning on the table with his hands.  
"Guys, I gotta head, Marco is tutoring me." His eyes shot to Armin and back at the table.  
"See you later" and he took off. Eren watched Armin stare after him.  
"So-"  
"Eren, who were you with?" Armin was faster than him. Eren leaned forward.  
"Armin, keep this quiet. I got….REALLY drunk last night and I…"  
"Hey" They jumped away from each other and looked at their new arrival.  
"Mikasa, hi!" Armin acted quicker once again.  
"What you guys talking about?" She took a place between them, eyeing them suspiciously. Oh God. He had to end things with Mikasa. He had to. When he and Levi were basically together or promised or whatever they were. He swallowed. How could he do this?  
"Nothing really!"  
"Homework, Armin was trying to explain…Irish history to me. You know. So much politics. With that…Eamonn Collins and Michael De Valera…" Mikasa raised an eyebrow as Armin rose.  
"I've to pee" the blonde boy ran off quicker than Mikasa had arrived, leaving Eren caught for words.  
"Mikasa"  
"Eren, shush. Listen, I want to stop seeing you."  
"Wait, what?"  
"Yeah you see basically…" she glanced around and leaned forward.  
"I've had…feelings for someone for a long time, and to be honest, I was just rolling with the sex and I'm sorry, and you're still one of my best friends but we can't…do whatever anymore" she grimaced, unsure of whether or not her words were truly appreciated.  
"O-okay?"  
"No, no it's fine!" Eren smiled, she had made the job easier for him.  
"Who is the new guy then?" Eren's smile stuck, and she looked almost confused.  
"Eh, actually it's this girl…" Eren's eyebrose rose quickly.  
"I never knew"  
"Neither did I." Mikasa cracked a small smile. "It was a bit sudden, but we're friends and I just…noticed"  
"It's Annie, isn't it?" Her smile faded.  
"Eren, how-"  
"I just knew." He smiled at his dear friend.  
"I'm happy for you."  
"Are you…sure?" Her smile returned.  
"Yeah!" Armin returned, and settled himself.  
"You told him?" Mikasa nodded.  
"Armin knew?"  
"Well yeah…he guessed too" Mikasa smiled. "I actually wanted to tell you last night, but I couldn't find you…"  
Armin looked back to Eren.  
"Yeah, you were about to tell us where you were last night." Eren sighed.  
"Look, I can't really talk about it here. Let's go to my house, mom and dad are out at work." Armin and Mikasa glanced at each other worriedly and rose. Eren begun planning how to explain that he had spent the night with their teacher.  
Eren clicked on the kettle and prepared three cups. Making tea gave him a little longer to plan his words. He had chosen most of them, including his argument for when they inevitably gave him the "illegal" talk. Armin followed out to help him bring the cups to the table. He was visibly worried. He carried his own and Mikasa's cup, Armin carried the cup he always used at Eren's house. As they sat around the coffee table in the sitting room, Eren became nervous. Would they be okay with this…?  
"Last night, I was really drunk, like REALLY drunk….more drunk than I've ever been and I went home with..." he hesitated "…someone."  
"Eren, who?" He took a breath  
"Levi…" the name was not audible for his friends.  
"Say again?" They leaned forward, eyes trained intensely on Eren. He coughed lightly.  
"Levi?"  
"What?!" Armin's voice came first, and Mikasa's hand immediately gripped his shirt and pulled him across the table, looking more murderous than he had ever seen her look.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry again for the delay guys! I have finished completely with college finally and I put so many hours into this chapter. It's a long one too, to make up for my last chapter being super short. As always, reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading! :D

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"Mikasa, what are you doing?!"  
"Which Levi?"  
"Mikasa, stop!"  
"Levi, as in Levi Ackerman, Levi the English teacher, Levi who is at least 10 years your senior?"  
"Yes, yes, that one, now let me go!"  
Mikasa dropped him unceremoniously, rage written clear across her face.  
"Eren, you're aware that's illegal…" Armin finally spoke up.  
"Yes but I'm about to explain to you" Eren took a deep breath. "I didn't really intend to go home with him, I just kinda…fell in front of his car and he was going to take me to my house to keep me safe but I…refused and the next thing I remember is going into his room and then…" Eren let the sentence trail off, waving his hands and glancing away, as if to say "well, you know".  
"You had sex with him." Mikasa chose more of a statement than a question, Eren nodded in response.  
"Eren…"Armin and Mikasa looked at each other.  
"He could get in a lot of trouble, I know. It won't happen again until I'm 18. But until then, I've more or less promised not to be with anyone else. I promise, nothing will happen until, I'm of age, okay?" He glanced between them. Mikasa looked ready to pounce on him and tear it off, to ensure nothing would happen, her jaw was set tight and her fists were curled tight. At that moment, Eren realized that he had said he wouldn't tell anyone.  
He jumped a little and clasped his hands over his mouth, turning bright red.  
"Don't tell anyone! Don't let on that you know, I promised not to tell, but…" he gestured towards Mikasa, who smiled a little despite her anger. "We won't tell anyone or let on, but just…even once you're 18, there's a pretty significant age gap" Armin's words had been something he feared hearing. "I know…I knew that. I've been thinking about it a lot actually, since I noticed I liked him so much"  
"So, will this be a legitimate relationship, not just sex?" It was Mikasa's turn to question him.  
"I think so. That's what I've gathered from our conversation about it. Though, I'm not entirely happy with waiting." Mikasa glared. "I will wait! I just…don't want to. It seems so far away."  
"I suppose when you've already tasted what's in store, you wouldn't want to wait." Armin smiled, clearly supportive of his friend's choice. Mikasa's phone buzzed and she stood immediately.  
"I have to go, I'm meeting…a friend" They both knew exactly who she meant.  
"Eren, just…be careful" She gave the two a quick hug and left, leaving Armin and Eren alone at last. "So…" Eren glanced as his friend begun his sentence, Armin's cheeks were bright red, his gaze avoiding Eren's.  
"Yeah?"  
"What…what was it like?" Eren raised an eyebrow.  
"You mean…being with Levi?"  
"Well…just… being with a man." Eren was confused, why was Armin asking this?  
"Well, it's…different. It's a very different feeling to being with a girl." His mind wandered back to the previous night and that morning. "It was more…complete feeling; I don't know if that was because of the feelings, I really have liked him for a long time. But it's good." Armin nodded, his cheeks still glowing.  
"I read about how good sex with a man can be fantastic since they have the opportunity to reach the prostate." Eren nodded.  
"I think that's what that was." Armin looked at him confused. "There were times when everything just felt so much better and it was…" He shook his head "I don't think I know a word that describes how good it was." Armin looked away as Eren looked confused. "Have you considered it with someone?" The blush that covered Armin's cheeks intensified.  
"N-no! No, I'm just curious!" Eren didn't believe his friend, but chose not to press the matter further. Now his phone was buzzing too, and Armin picked it up almost faster than Eren could comprehend. He tapped a reply, his blush rekindling.  
"Armin, are you okay?"  
"Yes, yeah. Fine. Did you do the English homework?"

Saturday evening passed without much excitement, and Sunday was spent attempting homework, which resulted in several books being thrown across Eren's room and several earfuls from Eren's mother for the same. He was almost thankful for Monday to roll around for an opportunity to be out of the house. So he rolled out of bed Monday morning, forgetting the weekend while he showered and brushed his teeth before the ache in his backside reminded him of what he had been doing over the weekend.  
And that he had English class first thing.  
"Shit"

His walk to school was too fast, spending time with Levi was an appealing thought in some ways, but not so much in all of them. Sitting in his first class with a boner was not a great way to start a Monday morning. As they settled into their desks, he couldn't hold much attention to Armin's words.  
"Eren, are you listening?" Armin gripped his arm.  
"What, hmm, yes of course."  
"So what do you think?"  
"What do I think of w-" The door slammed and they turned to see Levi walking in, his eyes falling on Eren immediately, but only for a second. Eren felt himself stiffen already. His eyes focused on his pad, taking notes as eagerly as he could. He may as well stay on Levi's good side. Next, an essay title. Focusing on the life of any poet of the student's choice. It could be started for the final 20 minutes of class. Eren thought himself lucky; he had no reason to look at Levi, and thus no reason to be distracted. Yet he was. He stared at his page, bullet pointing pros and cons of choosing different poets and he still felt his eyes sliding up and staring at the man at the head of the classroom. It happened a number of times, and the on the fifth "Last time, I swear", he glanced up to have Levi meet his eyes. He jumped a little and went back to his work, trying as best as he could to focus. He was doing fine.  
Until he noticed Levi standing up.  
He bit his lip, his pen stopping. His mind drew a blank. Levi was walking closer, glancing into various students papers, pointing out where corrections were needed in a low voice. Eren leaned closer, gripping his pen tight. Had he made a mistake? Levi was stopped at the student in front of him. He wasn't sure how he would cope if Levi stood by him, and even watching those slender fingers poking at the page in front of him, he was reminded of how those fingers invaded his mouth and pressed into him. He swallowed slowly, pen rolling in his fingers, he couldn't do it. He was next. Levi put his hands behind his back as he strolled along, eyes fixed on Eren. He leaned close, his finger pointing at something on the sheet, Eren looked towards it...and he was pointing at nothing.  
"Would you like a picture? It might be more beneficial than staring." It was far too low for anyone else to hear and Eren resisted the urge to look up at him, he didn't want to deal with the urge to kiss him. "Don't forget detention." He moved onward, his fingertips trailing over his clothed arm, sending little shocks through, making him shiver. The tone of Levi's voice heavy with lust and some other foreign emotions made him edgy, desperate to be alone with Levi while simultaneously despising the thought.  
Eren could not stop counting the minutes until the bell would ring and he could leave the suffocating tension. He had actually forgotten the detention; his weekend had been far too distracting.  
By lunch, he had survived, albeit barely. Mikasa and Armin gave him questioning looks when he sat-or rather dropped himself- next to them. He looked almost unwell.  
"Are you okay, Eren?" Mikasa asked, eyebrow raised.  
"I had English first thing" she nodded, understanding.  
"Eren, may I suggest something?" She leaned forward, careful so no one else could hear.  
"Maybe you should see someone your own age. He…might not have a lot in common with you, you're from different times. Eren, I know you and you are not exactly…wise beyond your years or anything. You're spontaneous, passionate, and we all know you couldn't survive without constant technology, where as he is serious, quiet, and almost the opposite of you." Eren could feel his face dropping. She was right of course. But what was he going to do? Just drop the man he had wanted for so long without even trying.  
"Mikasa, please just let me try, okay?" She looked rather taken aback, like she had braced herself for a far worse reaction, which he couldn't blame her for. Eren was known to fly off the handle at smaller things. "I just want to try. I've wanted this for so long; I don't see why I should just give up without trying. I know you two only want what's best for me, but right now, just leave me be, I can handle this, okay?"  
Eren looked almost pleading, and she nodded. He was rather smitten with the older man, how she never noticed, she didn't understand, but once he was happy.  
"Just be careful" she squeezed his hand lightly across the table. Eren smiled at his friends as the bell called, signalling the end of their lunch break.  
Detention had moved to the back of his mind but as the last few hours dragged on, the idea was there in his mind again. He would be alone, with Levi, in an empty room, within less than 3 feet of him. How was he going to handle this? By the time his last class rolled around, he was almost a nervous wreck, breathing deeply and muttering to himself that it would be fine. Not that he believed it. He did everything he could to distract himself, tapping his pen, counting the ceiling tiles, even doing actual classwork, but nothing would help, and when the final bell rang all too soon, Eren felt like he was going to be sick. He had alerted his parents to the fact that he would be late, but did not give them a time, he couldn't be sure. They would keep dinner for him though.  
The walk to his office was too short for comfort and when he reached the door, he took another deep breath. He knocked lightly and heard a blunt "Come in" from the other side. As he entered, he saw Levi hunched over, one hand against the side of his head as his other marked sheets in front of him. Eren approached slowly, dropping his bag and sitting in the chair he had sat last time.  
"You're almost early, brat, did you run here?"  
"Eh, no, I was just trying to be on time." Eren felt completely out of his depth with this man. Sure, it was awkward last time when he sported an erection for the older man from the moment he stepped in, but now…now he had to sit and be a student to the man that he had drunkenly begged for. Levi pulled his chair around the desk, putting it next to Eren's before dropping into it and automatically moving his arm to cross the back of it, his fingers skimming Eren's spine as he did so.  
"So where were we?"

45 minutes later and Eren couldn't take any more. Of this work or of the heat radiating from Levi. He flopped back, sinking in the seat, his head resting on Levi's arm. "No more."  
"We have another 45 minutes Eren."  
"It was only an hour last time!"  
"Well now it's an hour and a half. But a break wouldn't hurt."  
Eren brought his palms to his face and rubbed them into his eyes, hoping it would refresh them.  
"Are you really that tired?" Eren turned to look at the older man and nodded.  
"I could literally sleep right here." Levi let out a breath that sounded like it could almost have been a laugh.  
"Try sleeping earlier, Jaeger" It was Eren's turn to snort.  
"That doesn't work."  
"Have you tried it?"  
"Yeah, I just…have trouble sleeping I guess" he shrugged.  
"Not when you're drunk…" Levi muttered, fingers accidentally making their way to play with the short hairs at the top of Eren's neck.  
"Well, when I'm sober."  
"Are you really less demanding when sober?" the question could have meant anything but he knew he meant in bed.  
"A little. But I'm a bit more coordinated so I don't really need to beg." The air between them was becoming tense, and Eren wanted the older man to take him then and there.  
"I'd love to test that again..." Levi was muttering again, moving a little closer to Eren eyes focused on the younger man's lips.  
"I'd be delighted to let you…" Eren leaned forward, his hand moving to Levi's knee, desperate to be able to grip some part of the man. Levi's hand moved, fingers now splayed amongst the hair on the back of the teenager's head. Eren watched as Levi's tongue ran over his bottom lip, and he decided he wasn't waiting anymore. He grabbed Levi's tie and tugged him closer, the older man making no move to stop him as their lips met almost messily, but still retained some innocence. Until Eren's tongue poked at Levi's lower lip, begging for entrance that Levi so willingly gave. The ebony haired man was losing his patience, grabbing Eren's hand with his free one and pulling him closer.  
The teenager parted from him, cheeks flushed as he stood and placed himself on Levi's lap, his lips returning to their favourite haunt. Levi's strong hands gripped his thighs and he couldn't resist rolling his hips down against the older man, eager for some kind of contact. Masturbation could only get one so far, and it wasn't quite as satisfying as it normally would be since he had experienced Levi. He missed Levi's touch and wanted nothing more than to have the older man inside him again. Levi's hands moved to cup his rear and pull him as close to his body as he could. Their lips parted as Eren's moved to Levi's neck, kissing and nipping softly.  
"Eren…" Levi groaned, bucking his hips. "Eren, we should stop."  
"Shut up." Eren didn't care for staying away from the older man today. He had spent all day trying his best to stay away from him.  
"Eren, no. We said we would wait, or were you not listening when that was happening?" The last word finished with a strangled grunt as Eren palmed Levi's growing erection.  
"Yes, but I don't want to, we can wait starting tomorrow."  
Levi seemed convinced as he hooked his hands under Eren's knees and pushed up, carrying him with him and perching him at the edge of the desk. For someone so small, he was strong. He gripped Eren through his trousers, forcing the younger man to groan, his hips attempting to move, but Levi was having none of it, and his free hand kept his hips in place.  
"I suppose this means you're just as demanding then..." Levi smirked, Eren was too lost in the feeling of his grip to respond.  
He knew having this kind of contact with Eren, especially on school grounds, was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. But he also didn't have anything he would need. He didn't keep condoms or lube in his desk, as much as he wished he had, what kind of man would that make him? But he wouldn't leave Eren unappeased.  
"Eren, sit down." He demanded, pulling away from the younger man.  
"Bu-"  
"Just fucking do it, okay?" Eren obeyed and took the seat he had been in occupying before. Levi straddled his lap, hands working at Eren's trousers as the teenager watched him with curiosity. Once free, Levi gripped Eren's member stroking lightly, making him hiss with pleasure. With his free hand, Levi tugged at his own trousers, pulling down the zip and undoing the button as quickly as he could with one hand.  
He realized his blazer was still on, and he let go of Eren, who whined at the loss of contact. He let the jacket fall from his shoulders and tossed it on the desk, folding up his sleeves carefully and he grimaced at what he was about to do.  
He pulled down his boxers to free his cock finally, and he leaned forward. He spit into his hand and wrapped it around himself and Eren, grunting slightly. He pumped them slowly, licking his lips at the feeling of Eren's member pressed against his own, the boy was panting, his eyes almost pleading for more. Eren grabbed Levi's wrist and pushed his hand off, taking them in his own larger hand and pumping faster, clearly eager to make them feel as good as possible in the short time. Levi put his hands on Eren's shoulders and dug his fingers in, jaw clenching as the teenager jerked him. His hands moved to cup Eren's face, pulling him into a kiss as his hips bucked into Eren's touch. His tongue slipped against Eren's, causing the younger to groan. His grip tightened and Levi hissed, putting one hand on Eren's knee and leaning back to watch him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were closed, his breath coming in pants. His free hand had taken its place on Levi's hip, squeezing with bruising force. Levi was nowhere near finished watching the teenager coming undone when he threw his head back and let out a moan that sounded vaguely like Levi's name. He was getting close. Levi licked his thumb and ran the digit over the tip of Eren's member, causing the boy to squeal. Levi smirked at his response, but was cut off by a familiar pleasure rising.  
It spread slowly through his groin, causing his breath to hitch and his fingers to scramble forward to grip Eren's shoulders. He groaned and his eyes fluttered, but not before he saw Eren smirk. He was overcome with the urge to kiss him, to wipe that smirk off his face. He gripped Eren's face again and pulled him into a rough, sloppy kiss, his hips jerking forward of their own accord as he groaned into their kiss, feeling the pleasure shoot through him as he arched his back. A second later, Eren was moaning and bucking his hips hard as he came. They parted, breathing hard, Levi's hands still resting on Eren's shoulders.  
"Levi…" Eren's head fell back as he breathed deep, Levi slouched forward, his head resting against Eren's chest.  
"Hmm, what is it, brat?"  
"Sorry"  
"You should be, this is my place of work."  
"Not for that."  
"Then wh-" then Levi realized. He leaned back and looked down at his shirt and trousers.  
"You little fu-" Eren grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into another kiss.  
"Let's not ruin the moment." Levi glared at him and stood, grabbed a tissue from the box on the desk and started cleaning himself off.  
"There shouldn't be any more of these moments, Eren. Not here." He sighed.  
"Can we just say it was a reward for doing well in detention?"  
"Not how it works." Eren sighed and followed Levi's lead, cleaning himself off and tidying his uniform. He would have to make sure to be the one in the house to put this into the wash. He watched Levi who was wiping his hands and looking increasingly disgusted and smiled. He pulled his bag onto his shoulders and walked to his teacher, kissing him lightly.  
"What was that for?" Levi's expression had softened.  
"Just…just because. Drive carefully, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Levi watched Eren's back as he left, his heart fluttering in a fashion he had not felt in a very long time.  
As Eren exited, he smiled, feeling his heart skip a beat. The way Levi had looked at him after their kiss was different, something new flashed across his face and Eren was the one that caused it. He tucked his hands deep in his pockets and stared at the ground before beginning his walk home, blushing as he thought of the man he had left behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! So, just a note, when I was in school, we had English, Irish and Maths classes every day, so I'm taking this school to be the same on the English front, okay? :D

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The next day, Eren's day went slowly, and a midday text alerted him to a cancellation of his detention, some meeting or something. He took his lunch break as an opportunity to ask Armin and Mikasa if they would like to hang out after school. Both were delighted to do so. The end of Eren's day in English class was tense, eyes focusing on Levi, his ears not focusing on his words. He couldn't understand how the man he had come to like so much could even reciprocate. It was almost like a fantasy. In the back of his mind, he wondered what his parents would think if they found out. He felt a niggling that he should tell them, it was a big deal. But they'd never approve. Instead, he kept his eyes on Levi, following his every movement. He loved how he dressed; it was what had first appealed to him. The way his slacks hugged his hips in a way that made it seem like they were made only to fit him, the way he kept his back straight underneath his crisp white shirt, the arms of the shirt tight over his toned arms, it all drove him crazy, he wanted nothing more than to have his hands on that taut body, and as the final bell rang, he stalled so he would be last out, glancing up at Armin and Mikasa as they walked by, understanding his intentions. "We'll meet you outside." They whispered. Levi was piling sheets into his messenger bag when Eren approached him, almost too quietly. "Hi." The syllable was low, but Levi turned nonetheless, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Hi yourself. Have you made plans for this evening?" Eren's eyes lit up, imagining that Levi was changing his mind about detention being cancelled. "No! Well yeah, but I can cancel, it's no problem." Levi shook his head. "I have a meeting in a few minutes" Eren tilted his head to question "Some schedule bullshit for next semester, and it's a friend's birthday too, so party is in order." He seemed to almost shiver in disgust at the thought of a party. "I hope you'll have a good time…" his fingers ghosted over Levi's hand, trying to weave their fingers together. Levi accepted, tugging Eren's hand to his lips and placing a kiss on his knuckles. "I won't. But at least I can drink enough to forget it." Eren chuckled, stepping closer to Levi, wanting contact. But he shook his head. "No, Eren. We can't. Yesterday was risky enough, that won't happen again until you're of age." Eren pouted a little. "Sorry, Eren, but we have to be careful." Eren sighed and stepped back. "I know, but it's like getting just a taste of your favourite drink. You just want more once you've had a little." Levi nodded, understanding the strange analogy. "Only a few months. Like I said. Absence makes the h- ugh don't make me finish it, okay? Just. You know." Eren nodded, squeezing Levi's hand lightly before dropping it. "I better go. Armin and Mikasa are waiting for me." He stepped forward kissing Levi's cheek lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled at the older man before leaving. As the door slammed, Levi touched the spot he had kissed. The skin there tingled. He was beginning to regret this set up he had with Eren. He was falling harder for the boy every time he saw him. It may have started with lust, but every second without him started to seem tedious, and there were times he just wanted to sit with the boy and learn everything about him. His favourite colours, the childhood memories he loved the most, his opinions on…just about everything. But he couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not in the future. As much as his feelings were growing, he wanted Eren to be with someone his own age. However the thought of him lying with anyone else left a sour taste. He had known he was jealous after his last relationship. That hadn't ended well, and he shook his head to rid himself of the memories. Tonight would be an ordeal. All he wanted was Eren. Not the fuss of this party. He sighed, accepting his fate as he left the room.

Spending time with Mikasa and Armin was exactly what Eren needed. They sat around his living room coffee table once more. The two lifted his mood despite how much he missed Levi. He found himself getting distracted quite often, glancing around in some kind of hope that the older man would appear out of nowhere and whisk him away in the most beautifully cliché fashion. He barely heard Armin when he said he needed to leave. "Wait what?" "I have to go, I have plans with Jean." Armin blushed at the mention of the other boy's name. Eren couldn't help but suspect that something strange was going on between the two. "Okay, be careful." Mikasa glanced up at the blonde boy, looking almost uncomfortable. "Have a good night, Armin!" Eren smiled, he didn't like Jean but if he made his friend happy, that was all that mattered. Even though Jean was still a douche. As Armin left, Mikasa watched after him, a strange response from his ebony haired friend. Didn't she like Annie? Before he could question, she turned, looking like business was ready to be done. "Eren, I hope you've considered my suggestion." Eren looked at her quizzically. "I…haven't, I'm sorry." She frowned as she linker her hands and placed them on the table. "Please…it would be so much better for you." He frowned; she wasn't starting this again, surely. "Mikasa, I don't want anyone else. Age shouldn't even matter, you shouldn't even be concerned." The brunette was starting to get irritated with his friends attitude towards his relationship. "Eren, I'm trying to look out for you." Her voice hardened, she was getting angry. "And I don't need you to! Seriously, Mikasa, I can handle myself, how about you try focusing on your own life for once instead of focusing on my business?" He heard his voice rise unintentionally, but he wasn't going to back off now. He had every right to stand up for himself. "You are dating, no. Not even that. You are fucking a teacher, it's nothing but lust!" Her voice rose to match his. "And what is wrong with that? That's all you and I were!" "You are still a child! In the eyes of the law, you are a child and he is an adult and a paedophile!" He stood abruptly, hands slamming against the table. "Do NOT call him that!" "And why shouldn't I?" She didn't stand, only glared up at him. "Because, he's not! He cares about me, he holds me in a way you never did! He actually gives a shit about me and isn't only after something physical, like you!" Mikasa looked taken aback, opening her mouth to speak before being cut off by Eren. "That's all it ever was with you, you only used me for your own needs! And now you're doing the same thing to Annie!" Mikasa finally stood, he almost smirked, thankful he finally got a rise out of her. He opened his mouth to speak once more but this time Mikasa cut him off.  
With a slap to the face.  
He recoiled, holding his cheek, furious. "Mikasa w-" "How dare you?! How fucking dare you, Eren! Armin and I have done nothing but try to help you in any way we can and you repay us like this?!" Mikasa looked furious, tears threatening to spill. "I have been there for you through everything, I have defended your name even when you weren't around to see it when this entire time you've been such a…a…a fucking asshole!" Her tears finally flowed and she left. He couldn't stop her. He was frozen in place. She had never left him before. They had fought, sure but she had never stormed out. Or cried. The sound of the door slamming brought him back to reality. "Mikasa, wait!" he screamed, even though he knew it was too late. She was gone. He had made his best friend leave. He felt tears streaming down his cheeks. He had no one. Armin was with Jean and Mikasa was gone. He only had one other place he could go.  
The walk to Levi's apartment took too long for Eren's liking. He knew he shouldn't, he was told Levi was busy. He ignored him. He had no one. He pounded on the door, impatient. "Erwin, calm your shit, I'm-" Levi stopped when he saw the brunette outside his door "Eren, I told you, I'm busy tonight." "I had a fight with Mikasa and I just…I didn't know where else to go." Eren pouted, tears forming once more. "Why can't you just go apologise?" Eren couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Because…Because I can't okay? I just…needed you." Eren tried to take a step towards Levi, only to be stopped with a hand to the chest. "No, Eren." "Just one hug" "I said no." "Le-" "Eren, no. Go home." Eren felt his mouth hang open. First, Armin left him to be with Jean. Then Mikasa, because he was an ass. Now, Levi was rejecting him. He felt the final crack snap through his heart and his tears flowed freely. "Eren, stop crying. We made an agreement. We can't act like we're a normal couple, because we're not. This isn't acceptable, if you want us to continue, you need to follow the rules, otherwise this won't work." Levi's ultimatum served to make his tears more powerful, his mind clouding with ideas of their relationship ending. "Hey, hey now, stop it" Eren felt a hand grip his own, but pulled away. "Eren." Levi's voice was firm. "What? What else could you possibly have to say? Do you want to reject me some more? Is that it? Well you don't fucking have to, I can do it, it's pretty damn obvious that you don't give a shit." Eren shoved Levi back, and turned to leave, close to running out of the building. His tears blurred his vision and he could feel eyes on him constantly, but he couldn't care less. He slammed the door behind him, and ignored the calls from his mother as he barged to his room, shutting another door far too loudly. He threw his jacket on the floor and fell onto his bed, tears now flowing harder than they had. He could hear his sobs echoing and he knew his mother would too, but he didn't care. His friends were gone, his lover was gone, what else could go wrong.  
He spoke too soon.  
"Eren Jaeger!" His door shot open and his mother, filled with anger he had never seen in the woman, stomped into the room. "Just what the h-" She stopped as she heard his sobs. "Eren, Eren, honey, I'm not that angry." She ran to her son's side, her hand resting on his hair as she quietly shushed her son until his sobs quietened. "Now, tell me what's wrong." He would never admit it, but he loved when his mother spoke to him like this. It made him feel like a child but it also made him feel safe, like nothing else could hurt him. He turned his head away from the pillow. "Mom, I'm going to tell you something and I want you to keep it a secret and not get mad, okay?" She nodded, and she knew the hidden meaning. He wanted her to hide it from his father. "I…I really like someone, and I have for so long and they…" he swallowed, working up the courage to say it. He rarely spoke about his sexuality with his parents. His father hadn't been happy when he came out. "…he feels the same but he's a little older than me and he said we have to wait until I'm 18 and I had a fight with Mikasa and Jean has taken Armin from me and now L-the person I like doesn't want to see me." Fresh tears fell and he buried his face in his pillow once more. "Darling, your happiness should never be centred on one person. This person you like should not be the be all and end all for you. You're not even 18, you will meet so many other people in your life, and you don't need to rely on only one person to be happy. If I had done that, I wouldn't have you, and I'm not the only one who can say that, your dad would say the same. You have many friends, Eren, they will help you through this, and I'm sure you will find the perfect companion." Eren felt his heart relax and his stomach settle. She was right. He smiled right when it seemed impossible. But something else bothered him. "Mom, you never mentioned his age" his mother smiled again, warmly, in a way only a mother could. "Because, Eren, if this person makes my baby happy, it doesn't matter to me what age he is. I'll go make some tea." Carla kissed her sons head and left, glancing at her son, knowing he'd be fine.

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Thank you for reading! I chose to use "my baby" for Carla because my mother calls me her baby on a regular basis, especially when introducing me. As always, reviews are appreciated. See you next week! :D


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! So this is a non-Eren chapter, those will make a return but for now, I wanted to see things from a new point of view! As always, reviews are appreciated and do tell me if you think I should pop this bad boy onto AO3 now that I have an account there. Enjoy~

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"Annie, please pick up." Mikasa whispered to her phone, shoving her free hand into her pocket, digging for tissue.

"_Hello?_" Annie's voice calmed her straight away.  
"Annie, hey, can I come over please? I…Eren and I had a fight." She knew Annie was frowning, she didn't particularly like Eren anyway and this wouldn't make it better.  
"_Okay, hurry, I'll make tea._" Mikasa thanked her before hanging up. Annie reminded her of a mother at times like this. Tea was the answer to everything for her. Just like Eren's mother. Her small smile faded as he thought of the boy again, she never expected they'd fight like that. It wasn't like they hadn't in the past, but it had never been serious enough for her to resort to violence. She had only used violence to defend him, and now, here she was. Walking miserably to Annie's house knowing she couldn't go back to him, it would only end in more violence.  
The fifteen minute walk to Annie's went quickly with Mikasa's head in the clouds, swirling with thoughts of her best friend and how they were going to get through this one. She only had time to knock once when Annie opened the door, stepping aside to let Mikasa in.  
"What happened?" She asked, gesturing in the direction of the kitchen. Mikasa took a deep breath. How could she explain this without getting him in trouble?  
"Well…" She took a seat at the kitchen table and a tea cup was placed in front of her.  
"Eren is seeing someone. Someone too old for him." Annie looked at her, silently asking.  
"Ten years at least older than him."  
"That's illegal."  
"Exactly. And he's not listening." Annie sighed, taking the seat adjacent .  
"Mikasa, I know you want to best for him, but can you really tell him what to do? You're his best friend, not his mother. I can see why you're concerned, ten years is a big difference but it is his choice." Annie's hand reached to grip Mikasa's. "I know you just want to best for him, I know, and I know you'd do anything for him, but Mikasa, is it worth fighting about?" The elbow of Annie's free hand proper her chin up. "Listen, stop worrying about him. If I know Eren, he won't listen anyway." Her eyes focused on Mikasa's hand, pulling it closer. "You have your own life outside of Eren's too, you know. You don't need to focus all your attention on him…" Annie let her voice lower, her eyes moving back to meet Mikasa's again. "You know, how do you feel about a distraction? We can go watch a movie or something, turn off our phones, just us. Might make you feel better."  
Mikasa nodded, smiling. Holding her teacup tight, Annie pulled Mikasa up with her, leading her to her room. Mikasa sat on the bed, she never did feel the need to ask with Annie. Annie popped a DVD into the tray of her Xbox, setting it to play without signing in. She didn't want to be bothered by the guys trying to play online. As the title screen came on, Mikasa smiled. "Black Swan". It was one of Mikasa's favourite movies, if not her top favourite. She bumped her shoulder against Annie's and smiled at her. She gripped Annie's hand and leaned closer to her.  
"Thank you, Annie." She whispered against the blondes shoulder.  
"No problem, babe." The pet name rolled over her tongue accidentally and before she knew it, she was blushing.  
"Sor-"  
"It's fine, I like pet names." Mikasa's eyes were focused on the screen, her head against Annie's shoulder.  
"Good."  
The word was barely a breath and she automatically kissed Mikasa's head. They weren't a couple. They were just…learning. They had wanted to see what it was like to be with another girl, so far they had only gotten as far as cuddling, but it was nice. Annie turned slightly to kiss Mikasas hair again. Mikasa turned to face her, noses close to bumping together. It was the closest their lips had come. Mikasa blushed and squeezed Annie's hand lightly. However, no matter how confident Mikasa was, she had a lot of difficulty acting first with Annie. Thankfully, Annie knew it. She took Mikasa's blush as an indication to move forward, and she draped a leg over Mikasa, moving to straddle her legs and let her hands rest on Mikasa's shoulders.  
"Annie…" Mikasa was unsure, shy even. Annie smiled, almost doting on the black haired girl. Annie leaned forward and kissed Mikasa's forehead lightly. She let her kisses trail down Mikasa's cheek, lips passing over her blush and dimples. She moved further down, kissing over her jaw to her chin. Mikasa's hands rested on Annie's thighs, squeezing slightly at the brand new feelings. She felt her hands trailing to Annie's hips, fingertips digging in lightly. Before she knew it, Annie's nose was pressed against hers.  
"Mikasa…" She let out a small breath "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" Mikasa nodded. Annie leaned forward and pressed her lips very lightly against Mikasa's. It only lasted a second. And it left Mikasa craving more. Ignoring her usually timid nature, she pulled Annie back, and their lips met again, this time with more passion. Annie's hands begun to wander, concealing themselves in Mikasa's hair, pulling the dark haired woman closer. Mikasa couldn't help but move her hands down, curving around to Annie's thighs again, holding the blonde tight. She forgot every insecurity, and curled her legs underneath her to kneel, holding onto Annie before letting the younger girl fall back onto her bed. Her hands still stick to Annie's thighs, and Mikasa took a moment to watch the girl below her. A blush had crept over her cheeks, but her blue eyes were dark, like she was holding something back.  
"Mikasa.." the name came through gritted teeth, like Annie was urging her on. She accepted it, and leaned forward, her elbows at either side of Annie's head, her lips descending on the blonde again. She started the same way Annie had with her, kissing her forehead first. She allowed one of her hands wander over Annie's shoulder, lazily following the flow of her arm. Her kisses took a new direction, kissing down her cheek, but skipping her jaw. Mikasa steeled herself as she pressed her lips to Annie's neck, earning a gasp from the blonde. Annie's hands clenched the cloth of Mikasa's shirt at the waist, her neck arching to bare more for the dark haired woman. Mikasa took the invitation, chaste pecks turning to open mouth kisses along her companion's pulse, taking a moment to suck lightly, leaving a slightly pink mark on her skin. The sensation lit something in the blonde, Mikasa felt her shift beneath her.  
"I'll kill you for leaving a mark, Ackerman." The growl in her tone was playful, and again held something secret. Annie's thighs replaced her hands at Mikasa's waist and in a heartbeat, the older girl was on her back, with Annie straddling her. Before she could say anything, Annie's lips were on hers, tongue tracing her bottom lip. Mikasa felt her cheeks heat up again as Annie moved, lips now on her neck, Mikasa's fingers clutching the fabric of her shirt at the waist once more. Mikasa knew she was getting revenge, but she didn't really know revenge would feel so _good_. Her neck had been kissed on a number of occasions, and she had always enjoyed it a little. But Annie was difference. The shivers that coursed through her spine when Annie's lips met her throat were brand new. Her back arched and her hands roamed further, cupping Annie's rear as the blonde's teeth met the tender skin of her throat. She let out a soft moan. She pulled Annie's body closer to hers, urging the blonde to move her lips to meet Mikasa's again.  
At that moment, Annie's phone vibrated against Mikasa's leg in her pocket. Annie sighed as she pulled it out, barely glancing at the screen before picking up.  
"Hey mom." Mikasa watched Annie as the conversation continued, running her hands back to the blonde's waist. She was still curious. She carefully snaked her fingers under her shirt, tracing the soft skin of Annie's stomach. Annie gasped lightly, pulling the phone away from her ear.  
"Mikasa!" She hissed. "What? Oh yeah, okay, yes I'll do it." Mikasa heard Annie's mother continuing and followed suit by running her palms over Annie's ribs. The blonde rolled her hips down against Mikasa's, her head lolling back as Mikasa's thumps rolled in circles over her delicate skin.  
"Okay, okay, bye mom." Annie hung up and threw her phone aside, tugging off her usual white hoodie and returning to her companion. Mikasa couldn't help but admire the other girls form, feeling the need to explore every inch of her. But something was stopping her. She broke the kiss and took a moment to enjoy her lust filled expression.  
"Annie…I am enjoying myself but I still…you know it's still…" Annie nodded, cutting her off silently.  
"I understand. I'm sorry it got like this."  
"No, no, it was fun, believe me, it was fun."  
"Good." She smiled. "So are you gonna tell him?"  
"Not yet. I don't know if I will, he's so wrapped up, ugh. I don't know." Mikasa covered her face as Annie rolled to the side and Mikasa moved to rest her head on Annie's chest.  
"Well, if things don't work out…" Mikasa nudged her ribs gently, giggling.  
"What kind of situation have we gotten into?" It was a whispered question but Annie shrugged.  
"We'll just do what we can." It was soft for the typically harsh blonde, but Mikasa had come to enjoy her softer side. It seemed almost reserved for when the two were alone. A few moments of silence passed and Mikasa was the first to break it.  
"Do you think I should tell him?"  
"Yes. You've been hiding it and avoiding it for far too long."  
Mikasa bit her lip and thought hard for a moment.  
"What if he rejects me?"  
"Then he's obviously blind, and unless you want to spend your life caring for a blind man, you should reconsider." The serious look that remained on Annie's face despite her ridiculous words made Mikasa laugh and she rolled back onto the pillow.  
"I want to tell him…" She breathed  
"Do it. If he's rude about it, I'll break his legs."  
"He won't be."  
"Just in case." Mikasa smiled and draped an arm around Annie's waist.  
"I didn't want to bring it up again, but just." She paused for a moment.  
"Just give Eren freedom, okay? Sure, he's a colossal dick but you guys are best friends, and that shouldn't be ruined by his bad decisions. Ultimately, he'll be the one dealing with the consequences."  
"I just want him to be safe and sound, he's gotten so wrapped up in this guy so fast, it's kind of scary. He's so absorbed, he sees nothing, he hasn't even bothered to notice Armin's situation with Jean, or at least hasn't bothered to talk to him about it. Armin is as confused as everyone our age and Eren seems to forget that he has friends that need some kind of attention too, not everything should be focused on this guy. You should have heard it, Annie. He said I never cared about him and that I used him! He even had the cheek to say I was using you!" Mikasa's jaw tightened and Annie's hand was immediately on her cheek.  
"Hey, hey now, let's not get angry, I know you're protective of him, but Armin needs to sort this out on his own, he's a big boy now. He needs to learn to tell Eren to be a proper friend too, if it's all coming from you, it may not seem authentic for him. He might think you're jealous. Just tolerate him and be there for him when this blows up in his face." Mikasa smiled again, thankful that her dear friend had a better grasp than she did. "Besides, I know you're not using me, you wouldn't do that. You've got enough to worry about. And so do I. I do not want to deal with that shitbag" Annie's eyes narrowed and Mikasa laughed at the blonde's expression.  
"Thanks, Annie." She leaned up and gave her friend a small peck on the cheek.  
"No problem, babe. Now, I think there's a movie on?"

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Ooooooh, I liked this chapter! Let me know how you guys feel, and whether or not Mikasa should go tell him her secret feelings~

Thanks for reading! :D


	8. Chapter 8

I AM SO SORRY I AM LITERALLY A WEEK LATE ON THIS UPDATE.  
As always, feedback is appreciated. I promise I'll be on time next week

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The comfort of his mother had lulled Eren to a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time. He knew she would disapprove when he eventually told her, but for now, while she remained oblivious to his lovers identity, she approved of anything he chose. He considered a nap, the stillness of sleep was creeping over him slowly.

Until his phone buzzed loudly beside his head.

He let out a long, pained groan, followed by his mother laughing at his frustration from the kitchen. Clearly he had been louder than he thought. He swiped the screen and pressed the phone to his ear without looking at the name.  
"Hello?"  
"_Hey man!"_ Connie's voice was far louder than it should have been  
"Oh, hey, what's up?"  
"_I'm having a party tonight, parents are out of town for a few days, you better be there!"  
_Eren pondered for a moment before nodding and saying  
"Yeah, sure, what time?"  
"_Eh, about 9.30, Sasha said she's helping me set up, I wanna see if I can get a shot in there, if you know what I mean." _Eren could hear the smirk in his voice and was tempted to groan again  
"Fine, fine, I'll check with mom to be sure."  
_"See you later, man!" _

He heard the silence hit his ear and hesitantly rose from his comfortable position. His body was not eager to comply, and he flopped backwards, his arm draping over his eyes. "Eren, dinner!" His stomach grumbled in response and he finally stood. His feet dragged as he lumbered along, why did crying have to make him so tired? He sat at the table just as his mother was placing his plate before him, her own already set. She took the seat opposite him and began to eat.  
"Hey mom, Connie's having a small party thing tonight, is it okay if I go?" Some part of him hoped his mother would say "no" just so he could wallow in self pity. Instead, she asked what he hadn't been expecting.  
"Will this older man be there?" He couldn't help but snort, encouraging her to raise an eyebrow.  
"No, mom. That would be weird."  
"Well I don't know. It could be Connie's older brother."  
"He doesn't have a brother."  
"Maybe his dad."  
"What mom, no?!"  
"…uncle, I don't know"  
By now she was giggling between bites of her food.  
"Of course you can go Eren, it might be just the thing to cheer you up."  
He smiled his thanks at his mother and continued eating. Small talk continued and Eren found himself more eager to spend time with friends. It would be a welcome distraction. But, he could still feel his heart aching from the rejection of three of his most loved companions. Tonight should be a night of making up, approval and apologies and he knew none of those would happen. He would have to give Mikasa and Levi time before they would forgive him, and Armin…Armin didn't even know what was going on right now. He had no idea that Eren felt anything about his new found relationship. As he finished his last few bites and started to wash his bowl, he realized he wasn't sure going to Connie's party was a good idea. He just felt rather wrong knowing he had upset his friends and was now about to go to a party. But a voice in the back of his head gently reminded him that Armin, Mikasa and Levi all had plans that didn't involve him and the world wouldn't stop turning for him in their eyes. With a sigh, he put his plate on the drying rack, thanked his mother and left to have a shower.  
Tonight was going to be interesting…

Upon arriving at Connie's party, Eren realized how many people he had invited. And suddenly was regretting arriving. He could have left without saying anything, but Connie chose that moment to appear, slapping him on the back, handing him a beer and welcoming him loudly. He pushed through people while sipping cautiously on the beer he had been given, hoping for the first time in his life that he wouldn't run into his friends. He mingled with people from groups he had known in school. Marco, an old friend of Jean's spend a while chatting to him about life in a school on the opposite side of the city, and had a rather strange amount of questions about Mikasa. Reiner and Bertholdt, friends of Annie's, regarded him with caution, knowing their friends opinion of him. Bertholdt tried a little harder to be kind, but remained unsure. Their chat didn't last long. Before long he bumped into Jean. It was the most awkward he had felt in a long time.  
"Uh, hey."  
"Hey.."  
Even Jean was nervous. Was he unsure of what Eren thought of his and Armin's relationship? "Listen about Armin-"  
Eren raised a hand to stop him, and immediately saw Jean tense.  
"I don't want to fight. I will want to fight if you hurt him. I don't know what's going on with you two, but as long as you don't hurt him, it's fine."  
Jean nodded, almost blushing. He gave Eren a light smack on the shoulder as he walked away. Eren glanced around, searching for a familiar face as he sipped on his beer.  
He found himself sitting with Sasha in the otherwise empty living room, eating pizza and laughing at the most stupid things and Eren found his drunken gaze wandering over her in a way it never had before. He could see why Connie liked her, she was funny, honest, a little bit on the weird side, and damn could she eat! Somehow, even though the fact that she wasn't Levi was plaguing him, he pushed it away. Instead, he thought about what it would be like to see her with her lips wrapped around him and he couldn't stop himself leaning a bit closer to her, until his nose poked into her hair. She squealed and giggled in response, her hand gripping the back of his shirt.  
"Eren, what are you doing?"  
"Nothing" He felt the swirling, dizzy feeling of inebriation taking over and he pressed his just below her ear. She giggled again, her hand moving up his back, sending shivers all over. Her hand tangled itself in his hair, moving her legs as Eren moved between them. One hand held him up while the other held her waist as his kisses trailed lower. Sasha's giggles had subsided and he felt her trying to move closer to him, to press their bodies together in some way. He let her fall back and she pulled him with her, their lips finally meeting sloppily. Something suddenly snapped and they lost themselves completely, Sasha's hands pulled Eren closer while her legs wrapped around his waist. Eren's eyes slid shut as his hands roamed over her hips to her thighs. His hips rolled and he bit her lip, hearing her gasp against him.  
But he hated the noise, because he knew it wasn't Levi. He knew those hands wouldn't know how to treat him the way he wanted, that her kisses didn't taste quite the same, that her caramel eyes were a sharp contrast to the steely blue ones he wished he could see, that he wouldn't be filled up the way he had been by Levi.  
The name repeated over and over in his mind and he knew he couldn't do it. No matter how beautiful Sasha looked underneath him, no matter how desperate he was, no matter how much he missed Levi, he couldn't do it. He had gone too far already and he was starting to panic.  
"Sasha." He pushed her back and her head tilted. "I'm sorry, I…I'm technically cheating, this is a mistake I'm sorry."  
"You're what?!" Eren fell back as she sat up. "Eren, no! You're a nice guy, you wouldn't cheat! No! You go, and you apologise to her right now!" Sasha slapped his arm lightly as punishment, he was glad she took it easy.  
"I'm so sorry, thank you for understanding."  
"Go, go talk to them!"

Eren left as quickly as he could, walking quickly in the direction of Levi's apartment for the second time today. He knew it wasn't too far. He stumbled along the footpath, his footing getting worse with the cold air. He saw Levi's building coming into view and he walked faster, finally falling to his knees.  
"Come on, come on, get up" he pushed himself up and walked as fast as he could without falling again. The stairs took too long and he finally reached Levi's door. He held back nothing as he pounded on it.  
"Jesus, keep it the fuck down!" He heard Levi's voice growling through the door, and he wasn't prepared for the look on the older man's face. His jaw dropped and the angle of his hair said he had fallen asleep on the couch.  
"You just don't follow orders do you?" Levi's expression changed to furious.  
"Levi, I have something to tell you."  
"It can fucking wait."  
"No." Levi sighed and pulled him inside.  
"You drink too much for a kid"  
"Not a kid"  
"Shut up, what do you want to tell me?" Levi's patience was wearing thin, and Eren stepped forward, trying to put his arms about him. "No, just tell me. We can't do this right now." Eren swallowed, the fear of telling him finally rising in his stomach. "Well, brat?" Levi looked like he was getting more and more angry with every second.  
"Eren I swear- "  
"I cheated on you."  
Levi's jaw dropped and the look of hurt was enough to break Eren's heart.  
"We only kissed and then I stopped her b-"  
"Her? You cheated on me with a girl?"  
"Levi, let me explain- "  
"No. No. Get out."  
"Plea-"  
"No, Eren, fucking leave, I don't want to see you right now."  
"Why won't you just listen to me?"  
"Because you cheated on me, Eren! You betrayed me, I don't care what your shitty reason was, I've seen your type before, cheat and convince me it's "not your fault" or "it won't happen again", bullshit, I am not dealing with that again."  
"Levi, no, you rejected me! You made me leave!"  
"So I wouldn't get fucking arrested! You never take into account that this shouldn't even be happening, I should have rejected you from the start, but I didn't I gave you a chance because I like you, I risked my job, my safety just to be with you and you repay me by accusing me of rejecting you AFTER cheating on me."  
Levi took a moment to turn around and breath. Eren knew he was right about everything, but he couldn't bring the words forward. He felt the tears running down his cheeks.  
"I'm so sorry…"  
"That doesn't really matter now, does it?"  
"Levi…"  
"We're not going to continue, this is over. Detention will be cancelled."  
"Levi, no."  
"Eren, I can't trust you! We have a fight, not even a fight, I tell you that you can't be here for reasons you already know, and you run off with someone else. It's kissing now, if we have an actual fight, are you going to go and fuck someone else?"  
"No! Levi, I'm sorry, please just…don't do this."  
"I'm sorry Eren, you have to leave." Levi walked to his phone and started typing.  
"Levi."  
"Go home, Eren." Eren felt tears streaming.  
"Okay, just…I'm so sorry Levi." He turned to leave and he heard a small gasp from Levi. He was hurting too. Eren couldn't bring himself to leave. He turned again and walked across the room and wrapped his arms around Levi.  
"Will I be able to fix this?" he whispered.  
"I don't think so Eren. I've dealt with this more than once before, I thought this was different, I thought you would be better."  
"Let me try to be."  
"Eren, I can't. I can't trust you, do you understand that? Trust is the most important thing in a relationship and I do not have that. Not anymore." Eren felt tears well up once more and he felt the older man turn in his arms.  
"Eren, you're going to leave, we're going to stop this until we have had some time to sort ourselves out and to figure out if we can do this. I don't want it to end but this…"  
"Let me just kiss you once more."  
"Okay."  
"But – wait, okay?"  
"Yes, would you like a different answer?"  
"No, no, I just didn't expect that." Levi gripped his cheeks and pulled him forward. He pressed their lips together in the most innocent way he could, but Eren pressed harder. He didn't want their final kiss to be a weak one, he wanted Levi to remember it, to know that with another chance, Eren would put every part of himself into it. Even though his grip tightened, Levi separated himself from Eren, panting.  
"Goodnight, Eren."  
"Goodnight, Levi."  
He kissed the older man's forehead gently before leaving. He couldn't look back knowing he had hurt the man so much.


	9. Chapter 9

When he got to his house, Eren realized how little he came home after parties. He was, however, thankful his mother always reminded him to carry his keys. He yawned as he opened the door as quietly as he could, and locked up, carrying himself up the stairs silently. He undressed and slipped onto his bed, drawing his knees to his chest. It began to slowly come together how much he had lost in just a day or two. One of his best friends and his love interest. He made stupid choices and he was faced with the consequences. He knew he had been in the wrong, and now he was lost. He had Armin. He couldn't forget that, but somehow he felt like Armin wouldn't help him, that he'd be too focused on Jean.  
His eyes widened and he clasped a hand over his mouth.  
Had he been like that with Levi? So focused on him that he hadn't seen Armin's relationship sooner? He knew he had only realized recently that Armin had even found someone, he didn't know until tonight that they had been together. He had expected it, but he should have known. That day in class, what had Armin been asking him when he was focused on Levi? Was it about Jean? Had he admitted him despite the fear, and Eren hadn't listened? Was he bad that of a friend? And Mikasa. He cringed when he remembered how he talked to her. How could he have said that she had used him? That she was doing the same to Annie? He buried his face in his hands and put his head down against his knees.  
_What do I do now…I've been horrible to my friends…_  
He flopped back against his pillow, tears welling up in his eyes again and he turned on his side. Crying was becoming too common for him. He had to fix things, he had to get his friends back, he needed to be better. _I need to forget my love life, it's pointless. No. I need my friends, they're more important._ _All they've done is try to help, and all I've done is take them for granted. _He began forming a plan for what he could do. What could he do? He racked his brain and eventually gave into his fatigue. He took deep breaths, breathing in the powdery vanilla scent of his blankets, the cupcake smell making him smile. Before he knew it, he gasped and sat up, a smile plastered on his face. He knew what he would do.  
The following morning, Eren woke earlier than expected, the bright red 8:30 flashing on his clock. He swung his legs over the side of his bed and almost ran to his wardrobe. He grabbed the first shirt he saw and pulled it over his head. At the same time he grabbed some sweatpants and pulled them up while opening his bedroom door. He ran to the kitchen, hoping his mother would be there, and sure enough, there she was, drinking some tea at the table. "You're up early!" She laughed, standing to turn on the kettle. "Mom, I need your help." She turned, looking concerned. "I want to make everything up to Armin and Mikasa, and I know what I want to do, but I need your help." She nodded and smiled, proud of her sons mature response to the situation. She prepared a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, and sat. "Okay, what do we have to do?"

Armin woke to the loud ringing of his phone. He groaned as he sat up and stretched. _I shouldn't have stayed up so late…_ "Hello?" he grumbled. "_Hey, it's me!" _Jean's voice came through the phone. He was up strangely early for a Saturday, especially considering he had gone to a party. "You're up early." "_Yeah, sorry… you sound really tired. Up late?" _Armin giggled at his boyfriends reply. "Yeah, I was playing video games." He heard Jean chuckle through the phone. _"I should have known. Listen, can we meet up today?" _Armin glanced at the clock. 9:00. "Sure, I have to shower and stuff first but yeah. Where and when?" "_Maybe the coffee shop on Rose Street, around 10.30?" _"Sure, see you then." "_'kay, babe, see you later." _Armin smiled as he hung up, feeling the familiar flutter in his chest at the pet name. His relationship with Jean was unexpected and still new, but he loved it. It was unlike anything he had experienced in the past and he was happy. He knew Mikasa knew and was uncomfortable, worried for him. Eren seemed oblivious. Maybe he just hadn't heard him when he tried to tell him. Eren had been extremely distracted that day. He shook his head and got out of his bed, walking to the bathroom while checking his phone. He stopped when he saw a text from Mikasa.  
**"Armin, Eren and I had a fight. I don't know what to do, I went to Annie's right after. I know I need to relax and stop acting like he's a child. I don't know how to approach it."  
**Armin sighed, he didn't know how to help her. He quickly typed a reply.  
**"Good morning. I don't know how to help. If you want, we can meet up later today and talk about it. I hope Annie helped. I'll meet you at the café at 12."  
**He hopped into the shower before she could reply. He washed quickly and dried. He didn't know what would be appropriate. He liked to dress up when he met with Jean. He thought about it, and decided on a smart casual outfit. He let his hair air dry and picked out a light grey shirt and a dark grey waistcoat. He rolled the shirt sleeves up and pulled on jeans and some random sneakers. He nodded at the mirror and rushed downstairs, his grandfather was already up and making some scrambled eggs. "Good morning Armin! I wasn't expecting you so early. Would you like some eggs?" Armin nodded and his grandfather smiled, beginning the day as he always did, telling Armin every single story he had seen in the newspaper.  
Armin arrived just after 10:30, eagerly searching for Jean as he walked in. He realized Jean hadn't seen him yet and went to order his coffee. Cinnamon Latté, just like always. They offered to drop it to him and he thanked them, sitting with a very worried looking Jean. "Hey, sorry I'm late, grandpa was telling me the news again." He smiled until he realized his sandy haired friend still looked worried. "Jean, what's wrong?" "Hey, listen, did you tell Eren anything about me?" Armin shook his head, confused by the question. "Just Mikasa, I tried to tell him but he was away in his own world. Why?" They were interrupted momentarily by the barista placing his coffee on the table. He smiled and thanked her, and turned back to Jean. "He was a bit drunk last night and he came up to me and said he was fine with us and wouldn't fight about it unless I hurt you." Armin raised an eyebrow. "That's why you're worried." "Yes! It was weird! I thought he was getting ready to hit me and he was so…chill…" Armin laughed, to which Jean responded with a frown. "I'm sorry, but Jean, there's nothing wrong here. I'm amazed he didn't hit you but why are you worried." He gripped his boyfriends hand and smiled. "It's fine Jean, really. It's good to know he's not going to be a dick about the situation." Jean let out a relieved breath, and leaned over to kiss Armin lightly. He hated the taste of cinnamon, and no matter how much he love the taste of Armin, he would never enjoy the cinnamon. Armin smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "So, what was your grandpa talking about?"  
By 12, Jean was getting ready to leave, just as Mikasa walked in the door. He gave Armin a quick kiss, promising to call him later. He greeted Mikasa as she passed and let out another relieved breath. He thought today was going to go worse.  
Mikasa ordered a hot chocolate and sat with Armin, smiling for the first time today. "Hi Mikasa!" "Hey, if I knew you were meeting Jean today, I wouldn't have interrupted." "Nah, he's got stuff to do today anyway, so what was this argument?" Mikasa walked Armin through the argument, and Armin could hear the pain in her voice. He hated the thought of Eren being so horrible to her for any reason, but he understood Eren's anger. "Well, at least you know that you need to go easy on him. Maybe we can go to his house later and ask to talk to him, you guys can come to an agreement." He smiled at her and she responded with the same. It was good to see her cheering up. They stayed talking for a little while, talking about their families, their lives and Armin's previous evening of video games. It wasn't until 1.15 that they realized how hungry they were and they started to get ready to leave. Armin felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out, shocked to see Eren's name flash up. He showed Mikasa before answering. "Hello?" _"Hi Armin! Listen, I don't know if you've spoken to Mikasa today, but I was wondering if you two would come over today. I want to talk to you guys." _His jaw dropped and he nodded. "Sure, yeah, okay. When?" _"Maybe an hours time?" _Armin nodded again. "Sure, see you then." He turned to Mikasa. "He wants us to come over in an hour. He wants to talk to us." She felt her appetite leave and she nodded. They sat at the same time, his house was only twenty minutes away. "What do you think he wants?" she asked. "I don't know. To apologise?" She shook her head. "Eren has never apologised first. I don't understand. I hope he's not running away with Levi or something." Armin giggled and glanced around. His eyes widened and Mikasa immediately went into protective mode. "Armin, what is it?" "Speak of the devil…" She turned and spotted Levi at the counter. "What do we do?" He asked, but as he turned back to his friend, she was already standing to walk away. "Mikasa!" He blurted, but she ignored him. They were too far away for him to hear but he knew Mikasa knew what she was doing. Especially since she admitted being wrong. He saw her speak and him frown. She spoke again and he nodded. She returned and sat, immediately she decided to answer his unasked question. "He's coming to sit with us, we're going to talk about Eren." He nodded. "Did he know we knew about them?" "It's rude to talk about people behind their backs, brat." Armin jumped as Levi circled the table and sat opposite him. "We know Eren wasn't supposed to tell us about you two, but we wanted to just say we're going to back off. I didn't approve. I hated the idea of him being with someone so much older than him when he's so…inexperienced." Levi chuckled. "Oh he may be inexperienced, but he does a good job of hiding it." She glared but he raised a hand before she could continue. "I don't know if you two know, but Eren and I are…on a break at the moment. I don't want to interfere with him if possible. I want him to be with someone his age, you're not the only one worried about the age gap. I was hoping that in the time we were waiting for him to get to 18, he would find someone more suitable." Armin and Mikasa looked equally shocked. "Are you seeing him soon?" they nodded in unison. "Don't talk about me. Don't mention that I told you this." Levi sighed before taking a long drink of his tea. "I don't want to interfere with him." "I'm not encouraging him anymore. I don't want to interfere either." Levi nodded, his lips pursing. "Just don't mention me, and react as you see fit if he mentions me." They nodded again. "Can we ask why you're on a break?" Armin's voice was low. Levi hesitated. "We won't tell him we know." Levi nodded. "He cheated on me last night with some girl. He came over and told me and admitted they only kissed but I can't trust him. Not after that." Armin gasped a little. Cheating was something his despised and he couldn't fathom how Eren had done it to someone he cared about so much that he fought with Mikasa. He shook his head, ashamed. "That is not like him." Mikasa spoke in Armin's place. "I didn't exactly predict it either. But that's the case." Mikasa glanced at her phone to check the time. "Armin, we have to get going." Levi nodded. "Remember, don't talk about me or tell him you know." "Okay." They said awkward goodbyes and barely spoke as they walked to Eren's. Armin raised his hand to knock, but the door was already opening before them. "Oh hello!" Carla's smile was impossible to ignore and they smiled in response. "Eren's in the kitchen, I'll see you two later, I have errands to run." She smiled again and they said their goodbyes. They walked in and Armin called Eren's name. "Hey, I'm in the kitchen!" they followed his voice and their jaws dropped at the sight before them.  
"Did you do all of this?" Armin's voice was barely above a whisper. Before them, on the Jeager kitchen table, was a full dinner, duck, red cabbage, sides of vegetables and potatoes. Glasses with a jug of water and three plates set out. "Yeah! I wanted to apologise to you guys, and I didn't know how better to do it than feeding you." His hand rested on the back of his neck. Mikasa walked passed Armin quickly, wrapping her arms around Eren. "I'm sorry for how I acted, I shouldn't have been trying to tell you what to do." "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have said what I did." They squeezed once before parting, smiling. "And Armin." Eren turned to him as he walked forward. "I am so sorry I've been so oblivious to your relationship, I have been a shitty friend to both of you and I want to fix it, I want to be better." He gave Armin a quick hug, and gestured towards the table. "Let's eat." His friends could taste that Carla had helped with a lot of the meal, but they remained impressed. "So, Armin, tell me about you and Jean. I'd like to hear if you'd like to share." Eren smiled before taking another bite. Armin blushed. "Well, we've been together for about a month, we're still getting used to it. It's strange but it's nice, I'm very happy with him." Eren stopped for a moment. "Is that why you asked me…that question a while back?" Armin's blush increased and he nodded. Mikasa glanced between them. "Mikasa, how are you and Annie?" Mikasa blushed and turned to him. "Well it's fine. We're not a couple or anything. We're just kind of…testing the waters." Eren smiled. "We're just experimenting. We're interested in other people." Eren stopped eating again. "Really? Mikasa has a crush?" He smiled, ready to tease the girl. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Believe me, I didn't expect it either." "You're softening up, Ackerman" he teased. She laughed and their meal continued. Everything was normal again. But with better food.


	10. Chapter 10

Eren's new optimistic outlook on life was helping him along more and more in the past month. Levi was no longer the first thing on his mind, though the man haunted his thoughts and wet dreams on a regular basis. He was sad that he had messed up such a relationship with so much potential, but he missed the feeling of another person more. The intimacy of sex was constantly on his mind, he wanted to feel someone else again.  
Especially in the morning.  
He rolled over beneath the warm sheets, tugging them closer. He groaned as he looked at the clock, thankful it was Saturday, but shot up as he realized the date. March 30th. His birthday. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and dressed quickly and made his way downstairs. His mother was waiting for him with a smile and some breakfast.  
"Happy birthday, Eren!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight for just a moment. "How does it feel to be an adult?" she smiled again as she sat across from him. "Well, not very different since I still got breakfast handed to me…" he laughed as his mother glared at him jokingly. "I assume you're meeting your friends tonight?" He nodded "Yup! My first legal drink!" He smiled as he shovelled another fork of scrambled eggs in his mouth. Carla giggled. She knew well that Eren was no stranger to alcohol, but he never got into trouble or hurt himself or anyone, so she saw no problem. "And will your older friend be there?" She hadn't spoken to Eren about Levi since his admission about the older man.  
Eren felt a familiar uneasy feeling sweep across his gut. It was the same way he felt every time he saw Levi in class. It was surreal, knowing he had the man for his own and lost him. The feeling was numbing yet painful, like morphine. The sensation spreads, masking the pain but the needle isn't forgotten. He forced a smile and shook his head. "Nah, we're not seeing each other anymore."  
Carla opened her mouth to question, but at that moment, Grisha chose to make a rare appearance. "Eren! Happy birthday! I know I've been busy with work, but I'm not busy next Wednesday and I'd like us to spend a few hours together, get to talk. We rarely do." Eren was delighted at the opportunity to have some time with his father. Yeah, he could be a homophobic asshole, but he was still his father and he knew Grisha cared about him. "Sure, dad!" "Before I leave, I wasn't sure what to get you." Grisha glanced to his side, seeming ashamed. "I'm not sure what you like anymore, so I think you should buy your own present." Grisha smiled at Eren, placing a fifty on the table. "D-dad! I can't take this!" Eren wasn't used to this treatment and wasn't a fan of hand-outs. "No arguing. It's not charity, it's a gift. Do as you want with it. Hell, use it to buy your first legal drink if you want to do something someway special with it! It's yours, son." Grisha smiled once more, kissing Carla's forehead before calling his goodbyes from the door. "Well then, that was unexpected" Carla had pulled a wrapped box from somewhere (Eren figured under the table). "I was also a bit nervous, first adult presents and what have you, but I think these will work well for you." He opened the wrapping slowly, trying not to show his excitement. But that failed him when he saw the pair of headphones he had been saving for; they were large, over ear and green. He knew they were expensive, and Eren took a moment to wonder how she knew what to get him. He ran around the table to hug her and thank her repeatedly. She laughed. "It's no problem, now, finish your breakfast, I'm sure you'll have a lot of visitors today."

And that he did. Armin and Mikasa were the first to arrive at noon, hugging him tight before handing him a present each. He blushed as he beckoned them in. Mikasa had always been one for style, and knew Eren's quite well. Her gift consisted of a t-shirt, a simple but effective gift, with the logo of one of his favourite bands, "New Age Titans". The letters were thick and blocky, with a silhouette of what could be the bands idea of "titans" behind them. He thanked her, hugging her tight and thinking to himself "this is what I will wear tonight". Armin's present was almost to pair with Mikasa's style theme. It was a necklace, a thin black strip of leather with a small key attached. Apparently they thought he needed to change up his wardrobe. He hugged Armin and put the necklace on immediately. "So, what are you doing for today?" they asked, but he had no response. "I don't know…Mom and Dad suggested I have my first legal drink, it's not like it would be a bad idea, the school issued ID has our date of birth on it." Armin nodded. "It would be nice to get everyone together, you're almost the last to turn 18." Eren routinely forgot that his blonde friend was a little younger than him, but Armin had a way about these things. It wouldn't have been his first time getting into a bar, even if they were carding, Armin managed to avoid it. He always said that if you acted like you should be in a place, no one would question you. He seemed correct so far. Eren nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'll send out a mass text or something." Mikasa shook her head. "We took the liberty of doing that already. We wanted to be sure you had your first legal drink with all your friends and it kind of seems like the perfect night. A place downtown agreed to it, they card at the counter, so anyone underage can just go non-alcoholic. There will be other people there, but we can find a nice table I'm sure."  
They had planned for him. He knew he should have expected it at least a little but somehow knowing exactly how much his friends cared about him and his birthday made him emotional, he felt his heart swell as he tried to thank them without his voice cracking. After they left, his day was filled with texts and phone calls from friends and family members who wanted to wish him well. He was delighted that each took the time for him but still wished for someone else to call. Someone he knew wouldn't.  
By 6, he had enough of phone calls and following a large dinner, opted to begin getting ready for his unofficial party. He had already picked an outfit, not that that was difficult. He rid himself of his clothes and got into the shower, just in time to hear his mother calling to him that she'd be back soon. Eren worked the shampoo into his hair first, sighing at the feeling. He loved the feeling of his hair being washed, by anyone.  
_But it would be best with Levi…  
_He wouldn't deny that he had thought of the man on more than one occasion in a sexual sense since their split. But now he wasn't just imagining, he was remembering.  
The morning in the shower, the way Levi bent him over, kissed his back, told him to cum for him. Eren felt the need growing and rinsed his hair quickly. He squirted his shower gel onto his palm and let his hands roam over him. What if he could find someone just for tonight? Someone to make him squeal and beg, just to get rid of the craving. The soap washed away quickly and before he could finish the image he had of Levi taking him in a bathroom stall in some bar, his hand was wrapped around his erection. He stroked lightly, he wanted it to be good. He didn't want to rush, no; he wanted it to feel as it would if Levi were doing it. He pumped slowly, taking in every tiny spark of pleasure. He rubbed his thumb over the tip, gasping lightly as he did so. He leaned forward, bending over, arching himself the way he had for Levi in the shower. He imagined the man behind him, reaching around him, and whispering filth in his ear. The image caught him by surprise.  
_You like that, don't you brat? Such a good little slut.  
_The words made Eren's hand move faster, silently begging for the man.  
_Tch, so eager. A few minutes more and you'll be begging for my cock in your ass, and a few minutes after you'll be screaming my name so loud, the neighbours will know it.  
_Eren's free hand moved behind him, searching for the small puckered hole. He found it and pressed in slowly, gasping at the tightness. It was a little painful but he didn't want to stop. He wanted to feel full again.  
_Go on, tell me you want my cock. Tell me you want me to make you scream.  
_He groaned and felt a familiar clench in his abdomen as he let his head loll back against the tiles.  
_Go on, Eren. Tell me. I want to hear you. I want to hear you moan and scream and beg for me. I want to know it's my cock you want and no one else's. I want you to remember who can make you feel better than anyone else can.  
_At his final thought, Eren tipped over the edge. He called Levi's name, the feeling of his cum running over his hand making him feel dirty in the best way. He took deep breaths, thanking the Gods that his parents weren't home. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and as his final deep breath left him, he remembered that he wouldn't be feeling Levi like that again. He sighed, a heavy feeling settling in his heart again. He washed his hands and the rest of his body quickly. Even as he got dressed, the feeling didn't leave and he knew it wouldn't for a while. The closeness and intimacy he had been craving would only be satisfied if it was Levi. No one else could fill the void in his heart. He worked to cheer up; after all it was his birthday. He shook his head, thought of the night ahead of him, and marched out of his room to say hello to his mother.

His party turnout was exactly as he wanted. All his closest friends were present, and they had snagged a few tables next to each other to keep the party together. They cheered as he approached and he couldn't help but smile wide. As he sat he felt hands everywhere, pats on the back, hugs, arm squeezes, anything to greet him. Loud conversations quickly started, and he found himself lost in a conversation with Berthold, who was telling him everything about a new game he had started playing. He was completely ignoring his surroundings, until a light tap on his shoulder turned him. And he saw a cake, a black forest gateaux with an 18 candle. He could have cried. After so long of doubting himself and thinking he was an awful friend, they went this far. "Come on Eren! Blow out the candle so we can eat!" Eren laughed and blew out the candle quickly. His friends cheered and a glass of beer was placed in front of him. Armin stood above him, smiling. "I wanted to buy you your first legal drink. I almost didn't get to, Mikasa-" he stopped as Mikasa arrived next to him, in her hand…another glass. He didn't want to disappoint them. But how could he drink both…He gasped, and signalled "one second" and scooted out of his seat. He got to the bar counter and leaned forward, muttering to the bartender. He returned with just the thing. Two straws.  
He placed a straw in each and sucked both at the same time. Armin couldn't stop his giggling and Mikasa looked as if she couldn't even comprehend it. "Now, no one's disappointed!" Eren smiled, taking the plate of cake a waitress handed to him. The cake was delicious, better than any he had tasted. The conversations continued, loud and long and he got involved many that he never expected. He found himself confronted with several confusing questions regarding a variety of games, theories from Connie on retro games, and even a conversation on Les Miserable. Before he knew it, both his drinks had been depleted. He pulled his wallet out and looked at his school ID. Finally he could use it. He stood and Mikasa looked at him, questioning. "I am about to buy my first legal drink!" he said proudly, stepping around her to go to the bar. She smiled and resumed talking to Marco, who was standing curiously close. As he got to the counter, Eren couldn't help but feel a small nervous bubble in his stomach. The bartender knew it was his birthday, and shook his head as Eren tried to get his ID. He handed over the money and waited, glancing back at his friends. But as he turned someone caught his eye. Sitting on a couch a few spaces away from his friends was a well built, muscular, blond man. Eren thought for a moment on how handsome he was. His jaw was strong and his eyes were a piercing blue, yet held softness. He moved his gaze to the man's companion, who had made a comment that was apparently enough to make the blond laugh. His heart dropped to the floor. He would recognise that dark undercut anywhere.  
Levi.


	11. Chapter 11

Levi's night was going as many before had, watch tv, drink tea, shower and bed. He missed Eren, he truly did, but he knew it was his own fault. He had wanted to try to set things right, but it was him who had wanted Eren to find someone his own age, and this way, he wasn't in the way. That didn't change how much he missed the teenager, despite what he had done. He glanced at the date. March 30th. Well now he was an adult. Their relationship wouldn't be forbidden, he could have him. But Levi shook his head at the thought. It didn't matter. Eren needed someone his own age, someone who could understand the problems one would have at his age.  
Levi's mind settled on how they had ended. How he had kissed some girl. He felt sick at the thought of Eren with someone else. He couldn't rid his mind of the image of some faceless girl with her hands on his Eren, touching him in ways that should be reserved for Levi alone. He hated his possessive side, but he couldn't help how much he cared about him. He wanted him to be happy, and if that meant not being with Levi, some part of him was okay with it. But on the other hand, he wanted the boy to himself. He imagined their night together, the way Eren had gripped him, moaned for him. He wanted to experience that again. He lay his head back against the arm of his couch, pulling his feet up. The sound of his phone ringing broke the silence and he was hesitant to even look at the screen. When it didn't stop, he reluctantly swept the screen and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?" "_Hello, Levi. How is your evening?_" Erwin's voice greeted him. "Same shit, different evening." "_So you wouldn't be opposed to a few drinks?" _Levi glanced at the clock, it was barely nine. "I don't see why not, I've got nothing better to do." He stood and stretched, groaning. "Where are we going?" _"You know that small quiet bar down town, near the laundromat. Better than going somewhere obnoxiously loud. I know how you feel about those." _Levi smirked. "You know me well, Erwin. I'll meet you in half an hour." They said their goodbyes and hung up. He didn't think it would be necessary to dress up, but a change of clothes was needed. He changed to a plain white shirt, sleeves rolled back neatly and black slacks. He shoved all necessary belongings in his pockets and left, knowing Erwin would be there first.  
The bar was empty towards the front, much to Levi's delight. He saw Erwin sitting already, glancing up as he walked in the door as if he sensed his presence. He smiled at his shorter friend while Levi ordered his drink. When he arrived at the table, Erwin's smile left, he could sense the tension. "What's wrong?" He met Levi's eyes and the shorter man let out a breath while placing his glass on the table. "I'm not over him, Erwin. It's been at least a month and a half and I haven't forgotten anything. I thought I would, I've never remembered anyone after sex, it was a one night thing, a few weeks at most. He…He was in my life for a few weeks and he seems to have taken me over." He looked at Erwin, worry and fear settling in his eyes. "Levi, that just means you care about him." He leaned forward "Are you ready to forgive him?" Levi thought about it. He didn't know. How would he know when he was really ready to forgive something like that? "I don't know. I want to, but the thought of him with someone else is…" Levi's nose wrinkled "It's disgusting. It's like he's being dirtied." Erwin shook his head. He wasn't able to resist smiling at a comment like that coming from Levi. "Could you forget about it?" Levi shook his head. "I don't think so, not yet." He looked away. "It's not like it's my business, he has nothing to do with me anymore." Levi looked disgusted once more. "You can get him back. I'm sure he wouldn't be opposed to the idea." Erwin reassured him. "He should be with someone his own age." "Is that really for you to decide?" Levi stopped midway through picking up his drink. "I suppose not. Damn it Erwin, stop making me regret my decision." Erwin let out a hearty laugh. "As your friend, I'm obliged to tell you when you make stupid choices." "As my friend, you're an asshole." Erwin laughed again, and Levi took a long drink. This was turning out better than he thought it would. He heard cheering at some tables a few feet away, and automatically looked over, cursing about the noise. He spotted Armin's bright blonde head before he saw Eren next to him. He looked happy. Of course he was, it was his birthday. Levi looked back to his drink. Erwin must have noticed his mood changing and followed where Levi's gaze had been. "Do you want to talk to him?" Levi shook his head. "No, not when he's been drinking." Erwin raised an eyebrow. "You do want to talk to him though?" Levi nodded slowly. "I don't know how, Erwin. I have no reason." He shook his head. Erwin paused for a moment, before leaning forward.  
"You have detention.".

By Monday, Levi had time to think over Erwin's suggestion and act upon it. He wanted a chance to see if they could try again, to see if Eren was worth another chance. Detention seemed like a good idea. It would be beneficial to Eren's education as well as give them a chance to talk in a private setting that wasn't his home. He couldn't trust himself there. The class filed in, keeping quiet, knowing the short man would be unhappy with any chattering. When everyone had settled, Levi cleared his throat. "So, how many of you have successfully worked on your grammar since the last shambles of a test we had in here?" The class shared worried glances. "I hope those are positive looks because we're going to have a fun little quiz." He heard a groan from somewhere but decided to ignore it. He picked up the copies of the test he had printed last night, and started handing them out. "Rules are as always, but for those of you who frequently forget, use only one pen colour, this is not a test of how "cute" you can make the page look. Pens down when I say, if I see you still writing after, you fail. If your name is not on your paper when it is handed to me, you fail. And anything below 60% will result in detention." He glanced up when he reached Eren's desk, his eyes meeting the ones he had missed so much. He held the gaze a little longer than intended. Images of how those eyes had looked when Eren was moaning underneath him flooded his mind and he felt his trousers grow a little tighter. He sat quickly and checked his watch. "You have 30 minutes, starting now." The sound of pen scratching paper joined the look of utter confusion crossing Eren's face. Eren's grammar was poor. Very poor. Levi was ashamed to say he had made this extra difficult. He just wanted an excuse to give the boy detention as soon as possible. The 30 minutes passed slowly, with Eren looking more and more frustrated by the end. "Since there's still 30 minutes left, I encourage you all to use this time to work on your essay for this Friday." He announced as he collected the papers. He started correcting them immediately, glancing at his students to ensure they were getting work done. He marked them as quickly as he could, most had reasonably good marks, no detention yet. He turned to the next paper. Eren's. The boy had not improved. He just missed the 60% mark. He put Eren's test on the opposite side of the desk, and it remained the only one there by the time the bell rang. As Eren passed his desk, he piped up. "Detention this evening, Jaeger." He heard Eren curse under his breath and reply with a "yes, sir" before rushing for his next class. Now to figure out how to approach the situation.

Eren dropped onto the chair at his friends table in the cafeteria, his forehead hitting the table as he let out a long groan. "I take it the quiz went badly" Armin asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Eren grumbled and nodded in response. "And did I hear him say you have detention?" Mikasa asked. Eren grumbled and nodded again. "Eren…" She sounded worried, and it was enough to make him look at her. "Is there any possibility he's doing this as some kind of…" She paused, trying to think of the word. "…opportunity to talk to you?" Eren froze, he hadn't considered it. "Maybe…we haven't spoken since I fucked everything up. He said he didn't trust me and stuff, so it's possible." Eren didn't know how he felt about Levi using this method of talking to him. Why not just approach him? Text him? Call him? Why this way…Eren thought about what detention had done for them. It brought them closer, it made Eren realize what his feelings for the older man were. It was probably what made Levi notice his feelings too. Would this be a chance to make up and try again? He thought again of the blonde man who sat with Levi on the night of his birthday. Had he moved on? Is that what he wanted to tell him? He fucked up before, even if it had been a new relationship, nothing too firm. He betrayed Levi. It didn't matter how casual they seemed, he was an asshole. He knew that much was true. But he could make it up to him. He could really try, really work at this relationship. Since his finals and graduation were in just a few months, if they worked during that time to establish how things would work, they could be public once the term ended. He understood more now exactly why it was better that he was age appropriate before entering a relationship with Levi. He wanted to show Levi he could be an adult when it was required, regardless of what Levi thought of that idea. The idea that he could be using this as an opportunity to explain that he had moved on with the blonde man he had seen him with the night of his birthday was also very present. The thought slithered around in his stomach mercilessly. The evening would drag on, he knew it.  
And sure enough it did. By the time the end of the day rolled around, Eren felt a familiar feeling curling up inside him. It was the same tense feeling that he experienced before his first detention with Levi. He walked the same corridor as he had those few times, realizing he didn't know what he was walking into. But at least he would know exactly where he stood by the time he left. He followed protocol, knocking on the door three times before he heard the quiet "come in" from the other side. "Eren, good, you're on time, take a seat." His voice was so calm, like nothing even phased him. Eren took his seat silently, taking his usual items from his bag, his eyes trained on his hands. "We're going to go over the test and where you went wrong." Levi took the same position he always had before, next to Eren. "Now, question 3 is where it went wrong…"

An hour.  
A full hour they spent going over every question, Levi leaning close to Eren, his arm draped over the back of Eren's chair, almost skimming his back. Eren couldn't help but feel on edge. He thought he lost this man, yet he was acting like nothing changed. As they finished the final question, Eren leaned back absent-mindedly, resting against Levi's arm. "See, you know it, you just need to calm down." Levi said softly, fingers rubbing small circles on his back. And for that moment, everything came back to normal. Eren leaned his head against Levi's shoulder. "Ugh, I don't want to get it." Levi chuckled. He let his hand wander to grip Eren's waist, Eren turned his head and let his nose bury into the older man's neck. This was what he craved. The intimacy, the feeling of another person's breath tickling his hair, hearing his heartbeat, his hands pressing into his covered skin. Out of habit more than anything, Eren pressed his lips to Levi's pulse. Levi gasped, his fingertips gripped Eren's waist harder. Eren smiled, the familiarity with the situation bringing more happiness to his heart than he had felt in far too long.  
But there was still a heaviness between them, the elephant in the room.  
"Levi…I'm sorry…" He heard Levi take a deep breath. "Eren, I haven't entire worked back to trusting you. I want to. You're of age now, our pathway is far clearer than before but you still hurt me. If we are to try again…" He paused. "…as adults…" he emphasised. "…we have to go slowly. That means not jumping into bed, taking it as if we haven't been together before." Eren nodded, a look of determination etched in his eyes. "I agree. I want you to trust me, I want us to work out." Eren looked up at Levi while Levi looked down at him, their foreheads bumping together. The intensity sizzled the air between their locked eyes and Eren couldn't help but find himself mentally begging to kiss the lips he had missed so much.  
"Let me take you out."  
"What?"  
Levi rolled his eyes. "Let me take you out. On a date."  
Eren could feel himself blushing at the thought. "Uh, yeah, sure. When?" "This Friday. I want to take you to dinner." Apparently Levi had put quite a bit of thought into their reunion. Eren nodded, a bit shocked by the strangely affectionate display. "Now get off of me, you can go home." Eren let out a loud whine. Guess the romance could only last so long. "Fine." The sound dragged out as Eren stood and stretched. Levi stood slower, moving to walk around the desk. Eren caught him before he could and pulled him into a tight hug. "Eren-" "Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me another chance." Levi froze, keeping his arms limply at his sides. Eren wasn't pestering for kisses, wasn't complaining about moving slowly. He must have missed him just as much. Levi smiled as he wrapped his arms around Eren's waist and hugged him tight. He had the perfect date planned for him.


	12. Chapter 12

Given the events of Monday evening's detention, Eren had almost forgotten that his father wanted to talk to him until he saw the man at the dinner table. Carla dismissed them to the living room while she washed up, and Eren was nervous. His father had been supportive in most areas of his life; however, his romantic endeavours were avoided. But tonight, Grisha seemed happy. Maybe he was finally accepting him?

"So, Eren, tell me, how are things with school? Mikasa and Armin still doing well?"

Eren licked his dry lips. _You can do this, it's a normal chat._ He never quite got over his father's reaction to his admission of sexuality.

"Yeah, fine. Grammar is still hard. I've gotten a bit better though, I just have to slow down in tests and calm down." His father nodded, so he continued.

"Mikasa and Armin are fine, both doing great. Mikasa has been excelling in languages. Armin is just….great at everything. He's going out with Jean now, so that's good." Eren froze.  
Why did he have to say that of all things?  
He felt his father shift next to him. He opened his mouth to change the topic, but his father interrupted, clearing his throat quietly.

"Since we're on the subject, are you uh…seeing anyone?" Grisha was clearly uncomfortable, avoiding his gaze.

"Uh, no, no, not right now." He almost felt his father deflate.

"Ah, yes. Good. That's good, right?" Eren shrugged. His father was trying, and that was new. He was overcoming his lack of comfort (even though his lack of comfort was unreasonable).

"Well, yeah. But…" Eren coughed lightly. "…I ah, I have a date Friday."

"With a…" Grisha shifted again. "…man?"

Eren nodded, his hands clenching into fists.

"That's good, that's uh…really good." He coughed again. Awkwardness fills the air. But it was broken quickly by his mother.

"You have a date, Eren?" Carla smiled at him as she walked in, seating herself in an adjacent armchair. He nodded again. His father would not say anything with her here.

"May I ask who he is?" He hesitated. She would be okay, she would support him, but Grisha.

"Well, do you know Levi Ackerman?" Her jaw dropped and Grisha's head whipped to face him.

"Your English teacher?" Carla spoke before Grisha. He nodded. She knew immediately that Levi had been the man he's spoken about before. But she was not going to reveal that now.

"Eren, he is your teacher, you can't have a relationship with him!" Despite his mother's presence, Grisha had started.

"I'm eighteen now, I'm legally an adult."

"Surely a relationship with your teacher isn't legal!" Before Eren could respond, Carla jumped in to protect him.

"Whether or not it is, we will support you, Eren. You wouldn't have accepted the offer of a date if you thought there was anything shifty about it, right Eren?"

"Carla, it's irresponsible to allow this!"

"No, it isn't!" Carla looked more furious than Eren had ever seen her.

"Eren is a smart young man, no matter what you think of his choice of partners! This is not a bad thing, he's happy, he has feelings for this man and we shouldn't stand in the way of that! He can love who he wants, and if he does love this man, we will support him! If you don't, then I will support him enough for both of us, but I will not allow you to tell him he cannot love someone!"

A lump formed in Eren's throat, she had always defended him, but this was so different. She defended a relationship that was forbidden by almost everyone in his life. While he blinked away tears, she approached him, bending down low before him and gripping his hands.

"Darling, you have my support. No matter what. If he makes you happy, that's what matters."

He nodded, tears finally flowing down his cheeks.

"Thank you so much, mom…" The words were only soft whispers but she nodded, smiling in that way that only a mother can, the way that warms your heart and you feel completely protected, but somehow not any bit talked down to. A sense of complete security, no matter what the opposition may say, even if they were in the room. He had almost forgotten about Grisha again.

"Carla, this is not responsible."

"Then forget about it." Carla's response was cold. "You're not obliged to get involved. Just forget about it."

He looked unhappy, but nodded.

"Right. But I won't meet him." Grisha stood and left the room. Eren's gaze returned to his mother.

"Mom-"

"Eren, ignore him. I'll talk to him, I'll sort this out. I can deal with him. He was worse, you know."

"Worse? How could he be worse?"

"Your father was never a saint, he was quite the troublemaker before I met him."

"How did you fix that?"

"Good meals and gentle persuasion" She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"So, was it Levi you were seeing before too?" Her smile stayed, but he could see the concern. He nodded.

"I never thought that it would get to the point of him asking me on an actual date…" Eren looked away, very aware of his blush.

"I'm glad it did, Eren. It shows he's taking a mature approach and not treating you as a child. He seems to have quite a good opinion of you as a person as well as thinking of you well as a potential partner." She sighed lightly. "I'm not delighted that he's your teacher, I expect you know it's best to keep your relationship private until after you graduate." Eren nodded again. He felt too silent.

"I'll do my best. I really, really like him, mom." Her smile changed again, turning to one that showed far more happiness. At that moment, Eren's phone rang and Armin's name flashed on the screen.

"Take that, I will go talk to your father." She patted his shoulder as she left and he smiled at her. He swiped the screen as she left.

"Hey Armin."  
_  
"Hey! How did it go?!"  
_  
He had forgotten that he told his friends about his planned chat with his father.

"Well it was…something." He sighed. "He doesn't approve, but he's trying. Mom is talking to him right now, she said she would accept my choices but we should keep it quiet until after graduation." He paused a moment. "Provided it lasts that long."

"_I expect it will. I know how much you care about him and I know he cares about you too, and you need to be optimistic. Your date with him is Friday right?"  
_Eren nodded, before realizing Armin couldn't see him.

"Yeah. I'm a bit nervous."  
He heard Armin swallow.

_"This is going to sound like a weird question, but what are you going to wear?"_

* * *

If there was anything Eren loved, it was clichés. They were his guilty pleasure. He was a tough guy, he knew how to hold his own, but he liked romance.  
Though he had always been on the giving side. When he had dated in the past, he brought the flowers, gave the surprise visits and the hands-buried-in-hair kisses. He liked to believe he had done well. Was that going to change?  
Friday night had come slowly, and he realized that he had no idea _where_ Levi was taking him for dinner. As a result, he was standing in his room at 5pm, staring at the clothes that were now strewn across his bed. The only sounds in the room were his soft rejections of various items and eventually, a long, loud groan of frustration as he dropped to his knees by his bed. Apparently, he was louder than he thought.

"Eren, why are you groaning like that, are you sick?" His mother entered his room to the sight of her son with his face buried in shirts on his bed, arms draped by his sides. A muffled "no" came from the garments, and she could not help but smile.

"Are your clothes bullying you, then?" She walked to his side, picking up one of the shirts, a black one, scratching at a small stain.

"They may as well be. I have no idea how to dress myself. How am I even an adult?" Eren's face was now visible as he looked up through long lashes. His mother chuckled at him.

"Well, maybe I can help."

"I am pretty much a daughter right now for you, aren't I?"

"Yes, just a butch one."

They laughed together, Eren's mind realizing how thankful he was for his mother at this moment.

"Okay, do you know where you're going?" She surveyed his clothes carefully, he could see her forming ideas already.

"All I know is dinner at 8. He'll be here at 7.30."

She thought for a moment.

"Okay, you can go smart casual, that way you're ready for whatever happens!" She stepped forward and contemplated. She mumbled a little, so low that Eren couldn't hear her.

"Okay, do you have a white shirt?" She tossed grey jeans and a black waistcoat to him.

"Uhm, I think so?" Eren returned to his closet and rummaged, eventually pulling out a wrinkled white shirt. He handed to his mother,, who looked disgusted at the state of it, but raised it to her nose nonetheless.

"At least it's clean." Without another word, she left, white shirt in hand.

"Mom, I need to put that on!"

"Not before it's ironed!"

He followed his mother down the stairs in a hurry.

"You get in the shower! If you're going on a date, you're going to look your best!"

Eren stopped for a moment. He was used to support but he hadn't expected this much.

"Go!" his mother's voice woke him up, and he nodded, running back up the stairs and jumping into the shower as fast as he could. His mother would know if he rushed, and she knew what she was doing. He washed carefully, making sure every part of him smelled as good as possible. He even took the extra time to condition his hair. After 30 minutes, he was drying off and reaching for his usual cologne when he heard his mother was banging on the door, screaming as if she was a telepath.

"Eren Jeager, do not dare use that cheap smelling cologne! Your showered smell is enough! You don't want to knock the man out before you even get to the restaurant!"

Eren laughed and settled on antiperspirant. His mother passed the door again.

"Your outfit is ready on your bed, make sure you come down immediately so I can check it."

Eren smiled, his mother fussing over his date was making his evening easier to understand. He was calming down and his thoughts were getting themselves in order. He wrapped the towel around him and rushed to his room to see the outfit his mother had picked.  
On his bed was an outfit he never could have picked by himself.  
She had picked the white shirt of course, and a waistcoat and grey jeans to match. He pulled it on as fast as he could, eager to see the whole thing put together. After he was ready, he took a breath. He looked in the mirror on his wardrobe and was pleasantly surprised. The outfit showed off his build while remaining appropriate for every place they could go tonight. He was overwhelmed with happiness with his mother. He rushed down the stairs and before she could even look at him, he threw his arms around her, hugging her tight.

"Thank you so much, mom."

She hugged him back tight, but still opted to push him back to see his outfit.

"Oh it looks perfect! You look so handsome!" She beamed at him. "And you don't smell of that horrendous cologne, thank God." He laughed with her, and she gestured at the table. He sat and moments later, a cup of tea was before him.

"So, I don't really…know how to start this." She held her cup tight in two hands, Eren looked on in confusion.

"Eren, I think you know this already, but in case anything happens tonight, and you come home late…or you don't come home perhaps, just be…careful."  
Eren felt his cheeks flush bright red.

"I know that in the heat of the moment, these things can be forgotten but uhm…" He couldn't speak, despite how much he wanted her to stop. Then he felt the foil packet in his hands. "Eren, I expect things have happened already, I don't want details. I just want to know that you'll be safe if it does again." Eren nodded shyly.

"Thanks, mom. This uh, this is awkward."

"Yes, yes it is, now drink your tea."

They passed the last few hours watching television, and Levi arrived at 7.30 on the dot. The knocks came and Eren glanced at Carla. She nodded and gave him a quick hug.

"Do you have everything?" he nodded in return and walked to the door.

"Good luck, dear. Have a great night." She smiled and walked back to the kitchen. More tea, he expected.

"Thanks mom, love you!" he called as he opened the door, suddenly face to face with the man that had been on his mind non-stop. And aforementioned man was currently looking him up and down, seemingly pleased.

"Good evening, ready?" Eren smiled.

"Hey, yup."

"Okay, let's go."

And with that, he was on his way to his first date with Levi.


	13. Chapter 13

The ride to their first destination was filled with small talk. Eren hadn't known what to expect. He wished he could flirt the way he had seen it in movies. He wanted to make Levi want him before they even arrived, make his mind wander to things they could be doing in the back of his car, make him want to rip Eren's clothes off and scream his name.  
Somehow, his awkwardness wouldn't let him move passed chatting about the weather and how school had been treating him. Surely this isn't how dates were supposed to go?  
He felt the car roll to a stop and jerked back to attention. He looked up to see the bright red stop light. The wriggling of nervousness swallowed his stomach again. The feeling spread through him, and a sudden spark of warmth that tickled through his hand caught the breath in his throat.  
Eren glanced over and his eyes met Levis.  
"Don't worry. I know you're nervous but tonight will be fine. Just relax." The small smile Levi gave him was calming but he couldn't stop all of the fluttering. He merely nodded in response and squeezed Levi's hand lightly. It would be fine. What could go wrong? His parents knew, his closest friends knew and he was of age. This was where things looked up for him.  
He wasn't sure where they were going and as they pulled up to the door, he could see that this was nothing like the places he normally ate. It was a small Italian place, but it was the kind that needed reservations weeks in advance. The red brick building was covered with dark ivy leaves and a stone path led their way through a rich dark mahogany doorway.  
The car was left with the valet, and Eren offered his arm to Levi. The shorter man shook his head, chuckling at the action but taking the offer none the less. A short blonde stood behind the counter to greet them. "Good evening, gentlemen." Eren felt his cheeks flush; he mistook her for a man. Levi nodded. "Hello Nanabe, Ackerman, party of two" She smiled and nodded, then walked around the counter to lead them to their table.  
The walk through the restaurant made Eren feel awkward, well dressed couples surrounded him, all of them looking more sophisticated and confident than he did. The men were all extremely attractive, strong jawed, clean shaven and well suited.  
In more than one way.  
Levi had his hand now, walking ahead of him and almost pulling him along. His confidence had plummeted upon seeing those other men, how much better they held themselves had made him wonder what Levi saw in him. He shook his head slightly, earning a few concerned looks. Levi risked a lot to be with him, he surely meant something to him. These men shouldn't be competition for him, though he was going to take their clothing choice into account. He realized they would be seated outside, which by comparison to the crowded indoors, was empty. The fenced area was lit by strings of fairy lights hanging in loops from the lattice overhead. The ivy from the front of the building reached back here, and the tables each held a tall candle and a few choice flowers in their centre. From here, he could see the sweeping pink and purple across the orange canvas of the sky.  
The woman he now knew as Nanabe stopped at a table and placed two menus before them as they sat.  
"I'll be back to take your order in a few moments." She smiled and departed. Eren took a moment to admire their placement. It was a nice spot, and the view of the sky was a pleasant change. It was warm tonight, a great night to eat out doors. However, the menu was a bit intimidating. It was filled with meals Eren had never eaten, and he couldn't help but be worried. He stared until he saw bruschetta, a starter his mother adored. He made a mental note of it, repeating the name in his head to ensure he didn't mess it up. The only Italian he had ever consumed was pizza and spaghetti and meatballs, somehow neither seemed appropriate. He spotted another dish he recognised, one of Mikasa's favourites. Ravioli. Specifically, mushroom ravioli. He liked mushrooms and he liked pasta, he decided that would be a good option. He finally put down his menu to find Levi looking at him with an amused expression.  
"I thought you were going to hurt yourself with all that thinking." Levi smirked.  
He felt his cheeks burn again, but before he could retort, Nanabe returned.  
"Have you made your choice?" She looked between them. Levi spoke first.  
"I'll have the bruschetta and ravioli, please." He glanced at Eren at the same moment Nanabe did. He opened his mouth and closed it again quickly then opened it again to speak.  
"The same please." Levi smirked but Nanabe nodded.  
"And to drink?"  
"Just water, thank you." Levi spoke for both of them.  
Taking some precautions, surely.  
As Nanabe left, Eren looked back to Levi.  
"I had decided before that, you know."  
Levi nodded, an almost mischievous smirk returning to his face.  
"Of course."  
Eren laughed. He couldn't remember the last time he was this comfortable, and he had never had a date like this. Levi reached across the table, his fingers intertwining with Eren's slowly as he pulled the hand to his lips and pecked it lightly.  
"I'm glad we could do this."  
Levi's eyes were glued to their hands as he rolled his thumb over the back of Eren's hand.  
"So am I." Eren smiled and watched Levi's face. He felt the warmth spread through his stomach, heart fluttering as he watched Levi's face. He studied every piece of skin he could see, praying that he would have the honour of touching it in some way before the end of the night.  
"Want a picture, kid?" Levi was looking at him again, smiling in a way Eren knew was reserved for their quiet moments.  
"And what if I did?" Eren teased while he squeezed Levi's hand.  
Before Levi could retort, their starters arrived, presented impeccably.

They barely spoke while they ate and light conversation filled the air between meals. By the end of their main course, both were ready to leave.  
"I'm just going to run to the bathroom" Eren stood as he spoke and Levi nodded.  
"I'll pay and wait out the front."  
Eren reached into his pocket to give Levi his part of the bill.  
"No, it's fine."  
Eren stopped.  
"Levi, I can't just let you pay…"  
"Actually, you can, this is a date, and I asked you on it, so I am paying."  
Levi left before he could argue and Eren took that as a "go to the bathroom and be quiet."  
He was quick to obey, and silently checked his reflection before leaving.  
As promised, Levi was waiting for him by the door, and the valet was just arriving as he joined him. Levi opened Eren's door before rounding the car and getting in.  
Their hands joined again once they were on the road and as he pulled out of the restaurant, Eren noticed they weren't following the way they came.  
"Um, Levi? Where are we going?"  
"I figured it was early so we could go watch a movie."  
Eren nodded, feeling the appreciation swell his heart at how much thought Levi had put into their date. He looked out the window, watching the lights zip past. The sky was darker now, the first stars showing up on the clear night sky. He tucked his thumb inside their clasped hands and traced small shapes on Levi's palm. This is all he ever wanted to have, comfortable silence, no awkwardness or forced conversation. He let his head fall back against the headrest, and kept his eyes on the constantly moving city. He felt Levi's hand move, turning within his own and moving to rest on Eren's thigh. He felt the soft tickle of his thumb stroking his trousers and smiled. This was true perfection. He placed his hand back over Levi's and looked over at his date. Levi's eyes were on the road but his lips were curved into a small smile. Eren looked ahead for a moment, noting the upcoming traffic lights. They were so close and turning yellow. He couldn't help wanting to tease Levi a little.  
As he slowed to a stop, Eren leaned across the centre console, one of his hands moving between Levi's knees to hold him up, the other stroking the back of Levi's neck. He smiled against Levi's warm cheek and kissed it lightly. He heard the older man's breath speed up and hitch as he kissed his earlobe lightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Levi's knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel to distract himself. Eren moved boldly, now taking the earlobe between his teeth and nibbling softly while groaning lightly. The hand between Levi's knees moved toward his crotch, fingers tracing the underside of his thighs so light it could barely be felt but sent amazing shivers throughout Levi's body.  
The lights changed and Eren leaned back to his own seat as Levi took off. His grip on the steering wheel had become stronger and his jaw had tightened. Eren smiled to himself, feeling victorious. Until he felt a hand on his thigh. He jerked in surprise and gripped the sides of the chair. His gaze fell on Levi again, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead. Levi's hand moved over his crotch and before Eren could tell him to stop, he felt Levi palming him through his trousers. He groaned quietly and suddenly the urge to touch Levi became far stronger. Even just a little. He moved his hand to stroke the short hairs on the back of his neck. Levi gripped him harder and Eren's head lolled back, his free hand pressed down over Levi's as his hips rolled up.  
However, Levi had other ideas.  
His hand moved back to the steering wheel and Eren whined at the loss of contact.  
"Levi.." Levi shook his head in response. He slowed and pulled into the building Eren recognised as Levi's apartment building. Eren hoped that the moment he got into that apartment, Levi's hands would be all over him again but the older man showed no intention of doing so. His hands remained by his sides as they went upstairs and even as he opened the door to allow him passed, Levi barely allowed him to brush against him. Eren stepped in and took in the surroundings again.  
"Please, take a seat. Would you like a drink?"  
Eren glanced back and realized that Levi really was treating him as an adult. He nodded.  
"Please, whatever you're having." Eren sank into the couch, realizing the last time he had been here, he was extremely drunk and cringed at the memory. But it was forgotten quickly when Levi stepped up beside him, placing two glasses of red wine on the coffee table. He stood before a cabinet for a few moments before placing a DVD in the player and settling next to him. He had since removed his jacket, and now sat in just his slacks and a pristine white shirt.  
Eren took in the sight as Levi rolled up his sleeves. He didn't even pay attention to the start screen as he stared, watching Levi's small movements, the way he moved his arm to rest on the back of the couch behind Eren, the way he drank his wine, every slight motion seemed beautiful to him.  
"Eren?" Levi glanced over, his wine glass still in his hand.  
"Hmm?"  
"You're supposed to be watching the movie, not me." Eren blushed and gripped his wine quickly.  
"Oh uh, yeah…" He let the sentence trail off. He took a sip and felt Levi move closer. He couldn't let Levi do all the work, could he? He scooted closer and tucked himself under Levi's arm. He sipped at the wine again. He looked up at Levi and pressed his nose against his jaw. Levi's fingers twisted into his hair and pulled him closer.  
"Watch the movie, Eren." The words were mere whispers; the breath from them tickled Eren's cheek.  
"But you're so much more fun to look at…" Goosebumps rose on Levi's skin and he found himself pulling the young man closer again.  
"Besides…" He felt a small nip at his jaw as Eren's hand once again moved between Levi's legs, massaging his hardening length gently.  
"…You seem to be enjoying yourself."


	14. Chapter 14

First off, I am so sorry for the delay between chapters, I have been bogged down with last minute college reading, sewing and trips to Dublin.  
Second, thank you all so so much for your reviews and favourites and follows! I'm sorry I can't message everyone individually, I really try to but I am so sorry I can't get to you all, just know I love all of you so much 3

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"Besides…" He felt a small nip at his jaw as Eren's hand once again moved between Levi's legs, massaging his hardening length gently.

"…You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Without warning, Levi moved himself to straddle Eren, forcing Eren to fall back against the couch.  
"Be careful, Eren."  
The low vibrations of his voice sent shivers through Eren, whose arms made a move to wrap around Levi's neck. But he was stopped in his tracks. Levi gripped his wrists and pressed them to the back of the couch, bringing his nose mere millimetres from Eren's.  
"You don't listen."  
Eren rolled his hips in an attempt to feel something, anything he could in their position. His trousers had grown tighter and looking into the silvery blue eyes above him was not helping.  
"Eren, we said we'd take it slow" He knew the words were being spoken through gritted teeth.  
"But you want to take it further." He knew he was trying his luck, but he couldn't deny how much he wanted Levi. The man brought something out in him he didn't know could exist, even a small few touches drove him crazy, and in a situation like this, he was sure he'd do anything at all that Levi told him .  
"But we said we would take it slow, we want this to work…" Levi's lips were closer than they had been, barely brushing against Eren's as he spoke.  
"We can make it work, we can. I know we can, but we also have needs." Eren emphasized his final word with a thrust of his hips, making Levi grunt.  
"Besides, I'm sober now, I'm of age, and I'm asking you." He stretched, closing the gap between their lips. The long missed sensation of Levi's lips on his made him groan, he had wanted this all night. The soft, sweet pecks that pulled at his lips were like a drug, dragging him away from reality and falling into a world comprised solely of the essence of the man he wanted to live and breathe for. He wanted to fall in love with him. The dizzy feeling that swept through him made him think that he was already getting there. A mere kiss took his breath away and every small touch set off fireworks. It was cliché, the feeling itself was surreal but simultaneously perfect. The warmth of Levi's mouth left too soon, and Eren found himself whining for more. Kisses made their path from the corner of his mouth to his ear, each lasting an eternity, making him internally scream for more but never wanting them to change. The quiet grunts and groans were only a portion of what he wanted to express.  
"Shh, there's plenty more…" the words were husky against his ear. His back arched and his wrists fought Levi's grip.  
"Relax." The effect of Levi's words had on him would have been embarrassing if it hadn't been for the circumstances. Eren stopped wrestling against him, keeping his head against the sofa, his back arched and lips parted and inviting.  
Levi drank in the sight before him, prepared to keep the image before him in his mind forever. Eren looked beautiful, and Levi wanted to show him how beautiful he thought he was. He leaned forward again, deciding to take advantage of Eren's exposed neck. He placed delicate kisses from his jaw to the curve of his shoulder and moved his hands to hold Eren's head in place. As if knowing Levi's silent orders, Eren kept his hands in place, ignoring the ache in his shoulders for the thought of pleasing the older man. As his return trail of kisses reached the hollow of Eren's throat, an idea struck Levi. He poked his tongue out and licked a long strip up to Eren's jaw, eliciting a long moan from the man below him. Levi smiled and kissed over the skin again, sucking lightly every so often, leaving small red marks, not enough to last. The thoughts of Eren with that girl still brought forth some jealousy, and at the reminder following his possessive behaviour, he chose to prove it to Eren too. One hand ran from Eren's hair to rest at the side of his neck, keeping him steady as his breathing picked up. Carefully choosing a spot that would be easy to hide, Levi left long kisses. Without warning Eren, he sucked on the skin harder than before and the younger man groaned again, his hips bucking hopefully. Eren's once idle hands gave up their struggle to stay still, and buried themselves in Levi's hair, fisting it as the man left his mark. Surely he could do something to encourage Levi? He smirked as an idea came to mind. He let out another long, low moan, but added something to it that made Levi grip him harder than before.  
"Levi~" Eren allowed the name to roll over his lips and it drew his lover back to them. Levi's hands were back in his hair and he kissed him passionately, insisting upon demonstrating what such sounds could do to him. Breathless, they parted and Levi returned to Eren's ear once more. He knew what he wanted now. He did not want to fuck Eren.  
"Eren, I want to take you to bed." Eren nodded his response, preparing to rise from the sofa, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.  
"No, this won't be like before." Eren stilled, unsure and nervous. "I don't want to fuck you."  
Eren's heart dropped to his stomach. What had he done wrong to provoke such a reaction? His fear must have been far more obvious than he thought.  
"Calm down, Eren. I want to make love to you. I don't want to mindlessly fuck you like an animal, I want to make love. I want to make you feel more pleasure than ever before. I want to know your body in the most intimate ways, and I want you to know mine. I want my lips on every part of you until there is no part of your body that I have not claimed as my own. I want to make you sing my name until you're hoarse." Eren's breath caught in his throat, suddenly he was nervous. Making love, the concept seemed so foreign, overwhelming and incredibly _adult._ He nodded all the same. Levi stood and held a hand out for Eren to take. He led him to the bedroom, and every second it took, Eren could feel his heart pound faster.  
_Eren, you'll be fine, you can do this, you've been with him before.  
_His thoughts were cut off by Levi pushing him against the door and nipping along his jawline. He let out a breath and leaned his head back against the door.  
"Eren, relax."  
Eren placed his hands on Levi's hips and pulled him close. He pressed their noses together, taking a moment to enjoy losing himself in Levi's eyes before allowing their lips to meet. One hand roamed up Levi's back to cup the back of Levi's head. The other man groaned and gripped Eren's shirt, pulling him along as he walked backwards. He turned just a moment before they reached the bed, allowing Eren to fall back before straddling him once more. Eren immediately sat up and gripped Levi's thighs. He barely saw Levi's smirk before their lips met again. He drew back and pushed Eren back, letting him fall against the bed properly this time. Before he could move, Levi's lips were on his, tongue moving gently along his lower lip while his fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt. He felt the air breeze over his chest as the final few buttons came apart and the shirt fell open. Levi's lips left his and moved to his neck, kissing his way down to Eren's chest, far lighter than he had ever kissed him before. He trailed his hands over Eren's waist, gripping him to keep him still as his kisses reached Eren's trousers. As impatient as Levi was, he wanted to draw it out, he wanted to tease the younger man and make sure this was a night he would never forget. He popped the button quickly and moved his hands back to his hips. He kissed the exposed underwear, forcing Eren to moan again. Levi couldn't help but smirk as his teeth grasped the zip and pulled it down almost painfully slow. Despite Levi's hands holding them still, Eren's hips tried to thrust up.  
"Shh, calm down, we'll get there when we get there"  
Eren groaned, more from frustration now.  
"Kinda…hard to calm down, you know?" He blushed at his own words while Levi chuckled.  
"Don't worry about it, you're not the only one…" Eren questioned the words for a moment before realizing what Levi was saying. Though he knew Levi had far more self-control.  
Ignoring Eren being distracted by his words, Levi kissed further down, finally reaching the bulge in Eren's trousers. His hands gripped the sheets as he gasped.  
"Levi, please…"  
An idea struck Levi.  
He moved to Eren's lips.  
"You know, now would be a great time for a bit of a test"  
Confusion painted Eren's face.  
"Tell me Eren, how about I suck you off then make love to you?"  
Eren's mouth opened a little, he realized the challenge.  
"Or would you rather I suck you off than make love to you?  
"I…uh…" He frowned, seemingly lost on the difference. However, Eren was not stupid.  
Without warning, he wrapped his legs around Levi and flipped them over, his elbows resting beside Levi's head.  
"It's rude to underestimate people." Eren's voice took on a new confidence.  
"Though, after last time…" he kissed Levi's jaw lightly. "…I think I should be the one sucking you off and _then_ you can make love to me." Levi's mouth dried, and he licked his lips.  
Eren's new bravery was arousing, more so than Levi expected and seeing the younger man opening his trousers and tugging them down was an image he wouldn't forget any time soon. Eren was far quicker to act on his urges than Levi, and he showed it by tugging his boxers down. Levi gasped in response, he hadn't expected him to be so bold.  
Eren blushed as Levi's member curved before him and he couldn't help but show his nervousness. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint. He gripped Levi's length and pumped slowly. Levi let out a breath and Eren took it as a sign to move forward. He poked his tongue out and licked from the base to the tip lightly.  
"Eren…" his name came as a groan and encouraged him.  
He licked his lips and took Levi in his mouth, not wanting to wait any longer to taste him. As he felt the familiar salty taste tickle his tongue, he realized how much he had missed it. He gripped Levi's hips and bobbed his head, taking as much of Levi as he could before coming back up and focusing on the tip. He sucked on it lightly, his tongue tracing circles while Levi moaned, bucking hard. Eren glanced at his partners face and saw his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes shut.  
"You've gotten better" the last word trailed into a moan, but he heard something else in it. Maybe a question about his activities. Was Levi being jealous? He entertained the idea, allowing a soft "mmm" to serve as response, forcing more moans from him. Levi's hand moved to stroke his hair, encouraging Eren to continue, pulling him into his mouth again, the tip hitting the back of his throat. Levi groaned again, louder than before and without warning, he gripped Eren's hair and pulled him away. Eren looked at him in confusion, but Levi said nothing, just gripped his face and kissed him.  
"Stand up." Eren obeyed and Levi followed, pushing the shirt and waistcoat from his frame and allowing them to fall to the floor. He kissed Eren's shoulder as he pushed Eren's trousers down. "mnnn gotta get shoes off" he pushed Levi back to undress him in turn, pushing his shoes off without untying them. He pushed Levi's shirt off and his trousers followed. They stood in their underwear, lips still connected. Eren felt Levi's fingertips dip into his underwear and push them down. He parted from his lips to get on his knees, almost following the fabric. He licked the tip of Eren's erection before standing again, pushing his own underwear down and stepping out of the clothes pooled at his feet.  
"Lie down." Eren obeyed once again as Levi walked to the locker. He pulled out a condom and lube, just like their first time. He set the packet beside him and allowed some lube to drizzle over his fingers. Eren's hands were missing their contact and made their way to rest on Levi's waist. Levi's clean hand settled in Eren's hair and he lowered himself to his lover's lips once more. While he allowed Eren's tongue to tease his own, he moved a finger to his puckered hole. He pressed his index finger in lightly and felt Eren gasp against his mouth. He pumped the digit slowly and allowed a second to join it. Eren was now moaning underneath him, groaning a quiet "please" and gripping the sheets beneath them. The third and final finger slipped in and Eren was begging out loud, "pleases" mixed with choruses of Levi's name pushed the older man over the edge. Ignoring Eren's whines for the loss of contact, Levi switched his attention to slicking lube over his own length. Eren's fingers traced idly over Levi's stomach, admiring the man above him. With one hand, Levi positioned himself and pushed into the younger man slowly while his free hand tangled itself with Eren's.  
Eren's gasps filled the air, his back arching and his legs wrapped around Levi's waist. His head lolled back and his eyes closed. Tingles ran through him as he felt Levi's face bury in his neck, the soft kisses he placed along his neck encouraged more groans.  
"Levi…" the groan of his name was breathless and Levi felt something new, something he had never felt with anyone else. It was warm, it was fulfilling. His kisses moved over Eren's chest as their breathing sped up in unison. He moved up to Eren's lips and Eren's hand left his own, and his arms immediately wrapped around Levi's neck, pulling him close and pressing their lips together. And everything seemed to slow down.  
The feeling of Eren's tongue pressing against his own, Eren's hands in his hair, the feeling of Eren surrounding him. The boy had his heart, completely. Levi moved a hand to cup Eren's cheek. The way Eren arched against him sent shivers through him and the sudden loud whimper took Levi's breath away as Eren parted their lips.  
"Levi, I'm going to cum." The words were quiet and punctuated with moans.  
Levi stayed silent and instead moved his hand between them to grip Eren's member. Eren's breath sped up, gasps and moans filled with short breaths of Levi's name. Levi thrust harder than before, grunting with Eren's breaths. Before he could stop himself, he heard himself moaning Eren's name as his orgasm swept through him as he buried his face in Eren's chest.  
In a few breaths, Eren followed, his cum splattering on their stomach. His moans were far louder than Levi's and his nails dug into the older man's back.  
Levi pulled out of Eren and rolled to the side, his hand still intertwined with Eren's. Eren turned, cuddling into the older man's chest.  
"That was amazing." Eren breathed against him. Levi nodded and kissed Eren's head. He felt so complete, like nothing else had to matter. This was perfect. They were perfect. He smiled against the fluffy mess of hair pressed against his nose, and in just a few moments, he heard soft snoring.  
"Eren, we need blankets." Eren nuzzled closer. "Come on, you'll get cold."  
Eren groaned and lazily got up from the bed and slid underneath the covers quickly.  
"Come on, get in." Levi smiled and slid under with him, and the brunette was snuggled against him almost immediately.  
"Goodnight Levi." The muffled words were almost impossible to hear, but the following words were even harder to hear. He strained to listen, and smiled softly, tilting Eren's head back and kissing him softly before pulling him closer.  
"I love you too, Eren."


	15. Chapter 15

Hey guys! Early update! :D  
For this chapter, I'm gonna have to put a trigger warning for violence and homophobic remarks(not reflecting my own views of course).

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Sunlight washed over Eren's face for the second time in Levi's apartment. However, this time he knew when he rolled over that it would be into Levi's chest. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and pulled him closer. He groaned lightly.

"Eren, why are you even awake?"  
Eren chuckled at his grumpy response. "  
"Light right into my face."  
"Close the curtains and go back to sleep, 's too early."  
Eren kissed Levi's head and slipped out of bed to tug the curtains across more tightly, but by the time he turned around, Levi was sitting up and leaning back on his elbows.  
"Do you want a picture?" Eren smiled. His confidence rose around Levi, he knew that Levi liked looking at him, if he was less modest, he'd go as far as to say admiring him. He loved the feeling of his eyes on him, knowing he was putting the sight to memory.  
"Not yet, but you could just come back to bed."  
Eren let out a small "hmm" and paced towards the bed slowly. He was still naked from last night and given the hour of the day, he knew his length stood at attention. He knew he wasn't unattractive, and he knew Levi knew it too. But he had never really tried to stretch the limits, see how far he could go to tease the older man.  
Eren ruffled his hair and ran the other hand over his toned stomach, biting his lip as his hand roamed lower. Levi was more awake now, eyes fixed on Eren looking almost hungry. But Eren ignored the lust-filled look and walked right by the bed to the bathroom.  
"Where are you going?" Levi called, clearly thinking Eren had been planning very different things.  
"Brushing teeth, I doubt you'd appreciate my morning breath!" Eren called back, laughing lightly. He heard Levi groan and flop back against the bed.  
"Well, hurry."  
"You better brush your teeth too!"  
The following groan was louder. Eren laughed lightly through the brushing. However, something was sitting in the pit of his stomach. He stopped while he heard Levi shuffling out of bed. The last words of his night. Had Levi heard them? Had he replied? Panic swarmed through him. He heard Levi getting closer and began furiously brushing his teeth, desperately trying to act as if he had been doing it the entire time. When one of Levi's hands gripped his waist while the other reached passed to get his toothbrush, nervousness took over completely. He felt his cheeks heat up.  
"If you keep brushing that hard, you'll bleed everywhere." Levi leaned his head against Eren's shoulder while he started brushing his teeth. Eren calmed down, his cheeks still glowing.  
"There's no need to be embarrassed, you know." Eren glanced at the smaller man in the mirror.  
"Your little show was more than effective, if you hadn't done it before brushing your teeth, you'd be screaming by now." Eren's breath caught in his throat and he wrapped an arm around Levi. The question swirled around and around in his head, did he want to even know? What if Levi hadn't heard him and felt the same? What if he had and he didn't feel the same? He couldn't face the thought of rejection, so he ignored it. He shoved it to the back of his mind and instead focused on brushing his teeth without bleeding.

Instead of sneaking out and heading straight home, their day was spent lounging around. They ate together and spoke about their lives, talking about everything from movie favourites to childhood memories. Their fingers stayed entwined throughout the day, occasionally straying to push some hair back, leading to small kisses and touch that distracted from the conversation. By the evening, the two had grown lazy again, but Eren knew it was better to go home, his mother would already be wondering about his evening.  
"Levi, I have to go home." He reached up and pressed his nose against Levi's.  
"I thought so. Want me to drive you?"  
"Nah, my dad will be home, I don't really want you to deal with him. I can get a bus." He kissed Levi gently, but before long, their hands were roaming again. Levi's lips were on Eren's neck, sucking lightly while he held his rear to keep him in place. Eren ran his fingers through Levi's hair and tugged.  
"Levi…"  
"I know, I know." He kissed the new mark and pulled Eren down for one more kiss.  
By the time he got to the door, far more kisses had been exchanged and a few more marks had been left on both men. But again, Eren felt himself mulling over what he should say. Should he try again? Would it be too much if Levi had heard the night before? He leaned against the door and took a deep breath.  
"I…" he took another deep breath, steadying himself.  
"I'm glad we got to do this."  
He couldn't do it. Levi tilted his head a little, but nodded.  
"Me too. Text me when you're home, let me know you're safe."  
Eren nodded and stole one more kiss.  
"Bye."  
"Bye Eren, I had a great time." They smiled together once more and Eren left finally, despite his wishes to stay longer. His neck showed the obvious marks but he wasn't ashamed, nor did he feel the need to hide. Why should he? They had a lovely time, they connected and Eren had admitted his feelings, even if he didn't know if they were returned. The sun was going down and the bus had just arrived as he did. He heard whispers on the bus, strange small sounds behind him and several mutters of what he thought was his surname. He ignored them, instead focusing on his thoughts. He struggled through his memories, had Levi said anything?  
Eren noticed the store that marked his stop to get off the bus and rose, noticing the few men behind him stand too. They were whispering loudly, and despite the reasonably early hour, he could smell the stench of alcohol wafting from them. He never had any trouble with drunks before, but he knew how to defend himself. He hoped he wouldn't have to try. The moment he thanked the driver and stepped off, he started walking quickly. He heard them shouting to him, trying to ignore their calls to him.  
"We, we just wanna ask you a quesshion!" Their slurred words scared him, he had only dealt with his friends being drunk, never older men. Though he remembered moments from his childhood, of hiding under his blanket while his mother and father shouted about his drinking. He heard them walk faster, but ahead, he saw a familiar face.  
His father.  
"Dad, hi." He was never so thankful to see the man. Until he noticed his slight stumbling.  
"Well, if it isn't my faggot son! How did your date go? Did you enjoy taking some old guys cock up your arse?" His father was right in front of him by now, gripping the hair of his crown.  
"Oh look, he even left some marks on you while he was fucking you, are you proud of them? Do you think I'm proud of you?" Grisha's words were slurring, Eren was speechless. He knew his father disapproved but this was completely unexpected.  
"Grisha! We thought that was your boy! Is this the little cocksucker, then?" One of the men shoved him lightly, while his father still gripped his hair. He hissed in pain.  
"Dad, let me go, I gotta go home. Mom is going to be worried."  
"Oh yes, worried about her faggot son! The faggot son she should have swallowed…" Eren felt his temper rise and pushed his father's arm away.  
"Get off of me."  
"Or what? You'll want to suck his cock too? Or maybe you'll want one of us? What do you think lads?" He felt his father's friends shoving him again. The tendrils of terror snuck over him, he couldn't fight them off, he couldn't fight his own father, how was he supposed to defend himself against five or six full grown men? Before he could form any kind of plan, he felt a hand between his legs, and immediately he struggled, no matter how tightly Grisha held his hair.  
"I suppose you like that, you little-" Eren cut him off, shoving his father back and running. He ran and ran, his lungs burned, his eyes stung with tears and his mind was racing. He couldn't focus. Everything rushed by but he felt it, he felt the ground shift beneath him and he was on the ground. Grisha and his friends were howling with laughter as he pulled himself to his knees. How had they caught up? Pain shot through his ankle.  
No, no, no, not now, no.  
The words sped through his mind as he tried to stand, but they got to him, someones hands in his hair, a crotch in front of his face.  
"Awh, you can't run anymore can you? Fucking pussy. Can't even fight back, pansy." He felt the man shove his head back and before he could move, he felt spit collide with his face. It seeped into his mouth and nausea took over. He gagged, struggling again as the men surrounded him. He was pushed back, forced to fall onto the ground, his head bouncing against the ground. He felt the blood start immediately. Hands were in his hair again, and the loud laughter of the men covered his cries of pain. It was so dark now, but that didn't mean Eren didn't know that a man's flaccid penis was being forced against his lips.  
"Bet you love that, don't you!" Their laughter boomed again, but Grisha pulled the man back.  
"Don't, you don't know what diseases you'll get from my filthy whore of a son." He grimaced.  
"It's disgusting to even call him that."  
Grisha's hand was in his hair again, holding him still as he brought his face close. Eren was overwhelmed with the scent of booze.  
"Look at you, you're pathetic. How did my only child end up being a faggot? Filthy, disgusting, vile, good for nothing, piece of shit" Eren felt tears flowing freely, and the men laughed again.  
"I wish you were never born. Scum." Grisha rose and spat on him again.  
Eren couldn't understand, his heart was breaking, his mother, what would she think? She would be so worried. Fear filled his gut, he knew he wouldn't come away from it now. They were going to do something horrible, he could feel it. Their abuse continued but he stopped listening, instead he focused on his thoughts, which he knew could be his last. His mother, would she know who started this assault? His thoughts flooded with images from his life, moments when she comforted him, coddled him as the beating begun. Kicks to the ribs were first, shoving images of his mother out of his mind. He couldn't fight back, he fell onto his side, sobbing as the kicks got harder, one of the men stamping down on his ribs with enough force to shatter more than one of them. He coughed and cried, forcing his thoughts on wards. Mikasa, Armin, he thanked himself for being sensible enough to apologise, to ensure they were his dear friends.  
"I love you, I love you, I love you two so much, you don't even understand, I'm sorry, I love you" the words recycled in his mind as the beating changed again, fists coming down on him as the blood finally flowed. Everywhere, everything was so red. The ground, his hands, the man's hands, in his mouth, he felt his breath slowing.  
Levi.  
The final goodbye. The man he loved so dearly, who had treated him to a night he would never forget, or he thought he would never forget. Now he was being forced to, forced away from his life by men he saw as protectors, as friends, uncles almost. He didn't know, had Levi heard him? Did he love him back? He opted to believe it. The way Levi had held him, kissed him, made love to him. He could take some kind of solace knowing he was dying with someone loving him. The darkness was starting to blur through the edges of his vision. He knew it was selfish, this would hurt Levi but he was glad he could die being loved. His father hated him, that was clear, but Levi, Levi never would. Levi would love him, would mourn him, would place roses on his grave.  
Mourning? Death? Grave?  
When had he decided it was going to come to that?  
Another kick to his stomach reminded him, this was it. His own father encouraged this. And the man was moving closer again. Quiet harsh mutters of "fucking scum, fucking scum" passed his lips as he gripped the side of Eren's hair again, lifting his bleeding head from the ground.  
"Fucking disgusting, vile, how dare you, just how fucking dare you, you piece of shit"  
The last line was repeated, punctuated this time with repeated blows of the pavement against Eren's head.  
"Piece." Smack.  
"Of" Smack.  
"Shit" Crunch.  
The darkness took over, and his father's words echoed through his mind as he took, what he was sure was, his last breath and his eyes closed, the image of his mother, his friends, his lover, etched onto the inside of his eyelids.  
The words repeated again.  
I love you, I love you, I adore you…  
I'm so sorry…


	16. Chapter 16

I AM SORRY I DO NOT UPDATE REGULARLY.  
I am back to college, so with my schedule, it is easier to find time to write but at the same time, I am just bad at managing my time. Thank you all so much for your support, it makes my day to read new comments and see the overwhelming responses the last chapter received :)

* * *

Levi stretched out in his bed, it was late, midnight by now. It felt strange being alone, even if Eren had only been there one night.  
He was worried about the younger man, he hadn't text to say he was home, maybe he left his phone behind? No, he would have seen.  
He shook his head, Eren was a smart boy, he could stay out of trouble. But he thought over how the night had gone. The final confession, did Eren remember it? Did Eren know he said it back? He had thought Eren knew, but when he was leaving, he hesitated. Was he about to tell him again?  
Levi knew he could deal with hearing those words over and over, until he could hear nothing else. The words were sleepy and quiet, but Levi knew he heard them. The way Eren had looked at him in the mirror this morning, he knew. Eren could try to hide his feelings, but those eyes, oh those eyes, they gave everything away. He saw the love and adoration in them, and he hoped Eren saw it being returned. His phone buzzed beside him, and he picked it up immediately.  
Hanji.  
Levi laid his head back. He dialled Eren's number and waited.  
Nothing.  
Should he go to his house, was it too late for that?  
Eren always answered his phone. He dialled again, this time it cut off midway through, as if someone were hanging up. Levi sat up in his bed, he knew Eren wouldn't do that. He dialled once more. Ring. Ring. Ring. "You have reached the voicemail of-" Levi swung his legs out of bed, it didn't feel right. Eren hadn't text to say he got home. He wasn't picking up. Something was wrong. What harm could he cause by calling in?  
Wait, did Eren's parents know? His mother did. He knew that much. He had to go check, just to be safe. He couldn't wait all night for a response. Something felt so off.  
He threw on sweat pants and a t-shirt, it didn't matter to look good now. He barely pulled his shoes on and grabbed his keys, phone and wallet and jogged to his car. He started it up and turned on the heating, while he waited, he dialled once more. Nothing. Straight to voicemail. No, this was wrong. He drove as quickly as he could without breaking laws. He paid no attention from anything except the actual road.  
As he pulled up to the Jeager house, the lights were still on. That furthered his suspicions. He knocked lightly and quickly, and it was answered almost immediately.  
"Eren, w-" Carla stopped.  
"He's not here?" Levi asked breathlessly.  
"I thought he was still with you." Carla said quietly.  
"No, he left around eight. I told him to let me know when he got back, I've tried to call him, he hasn't picked up."  
Carla paled and Levi turned, realizing she didn't know either. His heart felt as if it had frozen over. He ran his hands through his hair, tugging as the tears threatened to fall.  
"I should have drove him, why did I let him get the bus, why why why…"  
"Levi, we can't stand around panicking." Carla was wiping her own tears.  
"His bus stop isn't far, we have to go look for him, follow it right back to your home if we must." Levi nodded, straightening and taking a breath.  
"Right, you're right." She nodded, gripping his shoulder as he passed. "Car?" She shook her head. "Faster if we walk, we'll see him easier if he's out chatting or anything." Levi nodded and the two walked together. They were brisk, both holding their phones at the ready.  
As they walked, Levi noticed the bright pole of the bus stop. At that moment, Carla's phone rang. She turned and answered. But he wished she hadn't.  
He saw a lump on the ground, still and something was glistening.  
"Eren…" the name was almost silent on his lips.  
He walked faster as he got closer, the form becoming clearer.  
Black jeans, black waistcoat, stained white shirt.  
"Eren! Carla, call an ambulance!" Despite his shouting, he was already tapping his own phone furiously.  
"Hello, I need an ambulance on…on…Carla!" Carla took the phone from him quickly, reciting her address while dropping to her knees, hands all over her son.  
Checking for a pulse.  
"Yes, his pulse is light, there's a lot of blood, his breathing is light, please hurry." He heard her voice break and he realized he was just standing there. He didn't know how to react, what to do to help. She let her arm with her phone fall as she sobbed.  
"We have to leave him lying here, in case there's any damage to his spine." She stroked his hair slowly, sniffing quietly. Levi couldn't speak. He just stared at the boy lying there. Before he could try to speak, Carla spoke again.  
"I have to leave my son, my only child, lying here, in the dirt and in his own blood because of some scumbag!" She was finally letting her anger out, and he understood why. He felt the same anger. He loved Eren, maybe not in the way his mother did, but unconditionally nonetheless. But even so, no matter how much he loved Eren, he couldn't stop the images crossing his mind. Imagining who could have done this to someone so innocent and kind. The thought of someone even considering hurting Eren infuriated him, and as the sirens got closer, he promised he would get revenge on whoever had done this.

Only Carla was permitted in the ambulance, bur the drive to the hospital allowed him time to think. What was he going to do? He glanced at the passenger's side, the side that Eren normally occupied. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. He would have revenge, it didn't matter who it was. He pulled into the space closest to the door, he had Carla's number to find her when he arrived, but he took a moment. He let his head fall back against the headrest. Revenge was still at the front of his mind, but he knew that wasn't the most important thing right now. He needed to be there for Eren and Carla both. He frowned, where was Eren's father right now? Had Carla phoned him? He shook his head as he got out of the car, how could this happen? It didn't feel real. He walked through the hospital, taking out his phone to call Carla.  
"Levi."  
He glanced up to see the very woman he had been looking for standing before him.  
"Any news?"  
She shook her head and glanced at the ground.  
"Not yet, he hasn't woken up, they've spent a while checking him over." She took a deep breath. "He has so many cuts and bruises, Levi…who would do this?" She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. He shook his head in response.  
"I…I don't know. It's disgusting. Whoever did this is going to pay, I promise." The malice in his voice was clear in the final sentence, but upon realizing he had expressed his vengeful wishes, he closed his mouth. He took a small step back as she glanced around.  
"Please do." Her voice was cold and her expression serious. His mouth opened again to speak, but Carla got there first.  
"Whatever way you can, whatever it is, if you can find them, do not hold back. I will not let this go unnoticed, my son is lying in a hospital bed, not even awake, not even able to tell us what happened, whatever filthy, pathetic creature did this deserves worse that what Eren has suffered. If you have ways of making that happen, please." She was speaking clearly, calmly. She wanted this to become a reality. He merely nodded as her eyes filled with tears once more. He never knew how to deal with people crying, Hanji had tried to teach him. He made a weak attempt, reaching out to place a hand softly on her shoulder. She welcomed the offer, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. He froze but followed her lead. He wrapped his arms around her and their tears finally flowed free. They sobbed quietly, not even sure whether they were in the way or anyone could see them, but they needed this. Levi stayed as silent as he could but Carla's sobs were a little louder, he could hear the pain. With one final squeeze, they parted and at that moment, the doctor approached.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Jeager?"  
"Ackerman, I'm not related, a friend."  
"My son's boyfriend." Levi glanced at her but her gaze was fixed on the doctor.  
"Has he woken up?" Carla's words turned eager. The doctor glanced at a door behind him.  
"Come with me, please. My name is Nile Dawk."  
They followed him quietly, staring at his back. After they entered he sat behind a desk, but looked at Levi quizzically.  
"Mr. Ackerman-"  
"I want him here. He is Eren's boyfriend and should be fully informed." Carla's voice turned stiff, in a way Levi never expected of her. Nile nodded uncertainly, and glanced at the clip board before him.  
"Mrs. Jeager, Mr. Ackerman, Eren is in a coma."  
Levi felt his chest tighten and his heart clench.  
A coma.  
Those bastards left Eren in a coma…  
"The injuries from the neck down will heal fine. A lot of bruises, a lot of wounds along with some cracked and broken ribs."  
Carla's gasp was as loud as a scream. Nile raised his hand.  
"They sound bad, but I assure you they will heal fine. The main problem is the head injuries. The ones to his face are not bad, also healing well. However…" he glanced at the clipboard again. "Part of his skull was cracked. It's the worst of his injuries and it is not an easy one to overcome."  
"Will he wake up?" the words were out of his mouth before Levi could stop them, but he knew they were both thinking it.  
"We're not sure, we're optimistic though. Right now, his chances are about 70 30 in his favour. We have more tests to run that will determine his chances as well as what we can do to help. Yes, you can see him." They nodded and as Nile rose, they followed. He walked and they realized where he was going to take them.  
He stopped and took a deep breath.  
"I'll be honest, he doesn't look great. The bruising is coming out and it could be very upsetting." Carla nodded, clearly more ready to see Eren than Levi was. Every horrible thing was passing through his mind. Nile opened the door, and the dark hair of the young man in the bed, linked to an IV, paired with the steady beat of the heart monitor stood out against the clinical surrounding. But it wasn't just his hair. Bruises littered his face, shoulders, arms. There was no doubt that his torso, back and legs were covered in them too. Carla's sobs begun again and she walked forward, gripping her son's hand.  
"Eren, Eren, Eren, Eren, no, no, Eren, no…" the final word sank to a whisper as Carla dropped to her knees. Levi couldn't move. The sight was too much.  
Nile passed by him to put a hand on Carla's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, I know how hard this is. Watching a loved one in this condition is not easy for anyone."  
"Please do everything you can for him…" He nodded silently.  
"We will. Stay optimistic. Positivity and love will keep you sane, support from your friends and family members will help along that road." He left Carla's side as a knock was heard. A young male nurse entered, tall and dark haired. He pulled a chair along.  
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't realize there were two visitors…" Levi glanced up at him and shook his head. "I'm fine standing." He wasn't sure he would leave the room at all if he sat down.  
"Grisha."  
Carla's voice was urgent. "I should call him but…" she shook her head. "No, tomorrow. He is with friends right now."  
Nile looked between them and nodded at the taller man once more.  
"Berthold, let's give them some space." He nodded and the two left together. Before closing the door, Nile looked back to them. "If you need anything…" Levi nodded, Carla had moved to sit on the chair, her forehead leaned against the bed, her shoulders shaking. Levi crossed the room and gripped her shoulder.  
They stood in silence, the beep of the heart monitor keeping them connected to the room. It felt so surreal. Levi couldn't feel like he was in his own body. He felt like he was viewing everything from somewhere else, some high up corner of the room, somewhere outside it, somewhere far away where none of this was real, where Eren was at home, happy, awake and in love.  
"Will he be okay?" Carla spoke to no one in particular, but Levi felt compelled to answer, because he wouldn't have wanted to go unanswered,  
"I hope so."  
"I have to call Mikasa and Armin. I'll be back in a moment." She stood slowly and left the room, gaze on the ground. Finally they were alone together. Affection in front of his mother didn't seem appropriate at the moment. He pulled the seat forward and wrapped both his hands around Eren's as he sat.  
"Eren…" He glanced up at the young man that had stolen his heart.  
"Who did this? Please wake up…"

Carla hung up on Mikasa, she had called Armin first, he was more emotional and easier to keep in one place. Mikasa, as expected, wanted to visit immediately, thankfully, Carla talked her out of it. As she walked back the door, something caught her ear. Talking. Levi?  
"...Please wake up…I've heard that coma patients can still hear everyone who speaks with them. I hope to God or whatever is up there you can. Eren, I don't know if you heard me last night. When you said you loved me, I said it back. I love you, Eren. I love you more than I could even express and I don't know what to do. I wish I had driven you home." Levi's sobs interrupted him. "Eren, I need you to wake up. I need you in my life, I cannot deal with you being gone. You need to stay, you need to wake up. Not just for me, for your mom, your friends, but Eren, please, please…please…" his sobbing resumed. Carla stopped for a moment and put a hand over her mouth. She thought over her concerns, how she was scared for Eren's relationship, even during their date. Hearing Levi's words, hearing such genuine love and adoration for her son, it raised her faith. She hoped Eren would hear his words and realize how loved he was by someone he had been so unsure about. At that moment, Levi exited the room, almost bumping into Carla.  
"Sorry, I think I need some coffee."  
"Levi, I am glad you care about my son, you're a good man, I am glad he met you." He looked at her confused for a moment, before realizing.  
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I was about to come in. I hope he can hear you."  
Levi nodded.  
"Me too."

After being sent home to sleep by Carla, Levi woke early. He showered quickly and chose the first clothes he saw. He barely had his coffee made when he left, and not long after, he was parking in the same space as yesterday. When he got to Eren's room, Carla was awake with a cup of coffee and a paper, idly reading news article headlines aloud.  
"Good morning."  
"Good morning, Levi. The nurses reinforced the idea of speaking to him."  
Levi nodded, Carla was trying to smile.  
"I called Grisha to tell him, he's a little hungover but I think he is going to come over here sometime today." Levi nodded and she stood, stroking Eren's hand lightly as she did.  
"Do you want to talk to him for a while?" Levi nodded again before realizing he hadn't spoke much.  
"Yes, I…I really would."  
She nodded and fresh tears spilled.  
He stepped forward, finally understanding that they would become friends, yes, over the worst of circumstances, but friends nonetheless. He outstretched his arms and let her cry.  
He almost didn't hear the door opening and a man with long hair and glasses stepped in. Carla looked up and let go of Levi, walking passed him to the new addition.  
"Grisha, good morning."


	17. Chapter 17

As always, thank you for all of the support! I think my updates are getting a bit more regular...

* * *

The look that crossed Grisha's face when he saw Eren in the bed was…lacking.

Levi couldn't help but notice how unmoved he seemed, unsurprised. Even if Carla had told him about their son's condition, surely he would be upset to see his son. Maybe he was in shock. Grisha finally looked away from Eren and his eyes fell on Levi. Something stirred in Levi, something wasn't right.  
Before he could even introduce himself, Grisha switched his gaze to Carla.

"What is he doing here?" The words were harsh.

"Someone beat him up, he's in a coma, Grisha." Carla's voice shook again.

"Not him." Grisha's hate filled eyes fell on Levi once more. Levi didn't move, only raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"You're his teacher." Grisha stepped forward, clearly trying to intimidate the shorter man.  
Levi didn't speak, instead waiting for Carla. Maybe she didn't want Grisha to know.

"Levi is Eren's boyfriend, he deserves to be here. He's as concerned as we are." Carla moved in between the men, her eyes desperately pleading with her husband to stop whatever he was about to start.

"Grisha, this is not the time or place to start this. I know how you feel, but our son is what is important right now, he is in a coma Grisha. We don't even know for certain if he will wake up. Is this really the time to be concerned about whether he likes men or women? Who our only son might love is more important to you right now than the fact that he is lying in that bed, bruised and broken because some scumbag thought it would be okay to mercilessly beat him on the side of the road in the middle of the night?" Fresh, angry tears flowed over Carla's cheeks, her fists balled at her sides, looking like she was about to snap completely. However, Grisha was not prepared to give in.

"Oh really? Wasn't this while he was supposed to be with his boyfriend? Where were you while my son was being beaten then?" His voice was laced with venom and Levi couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with guilt.

"I offered him a lift home, he declined and opted for the bus instead. I regret allowing him to, but who am I to stop him?" Levi answered honestly, glancing back at Eren. It was strange to see him so quiet in a situation like this. Grisha's stare bored holes in the side of his head.

"Unreliable. You're no good for him."

Levi closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He agreed. He hated what had happened to Eren. He felt responsible. He felt like he had failed him. He couldn't listen to it though.

"You have nothing to say, you know I'm right. You did nothing when he needed you."

"Shut up." No matter how much he agreed, he wouldn't be spoken to like that by someone who didn't know him.

"There's nothing I regret more than not taking him home myself. I am furious at myself. I hate myself for allowing him to leave alone."

"Levi…" Carla tried to stop him.

"No, Carla. I hate that I have failed him, but you didn't do anything either. You've stepped in here and done nothing to help, you've ignored your son, you've upset your wife, you've done nothing but start a fight. Whatever you think of me, you should be caring for her, as I am for Eren." He knew it was a low blow, he could smell the alcohol on Grisha, and he knew it was a bad idea to confront him like this, but his temper was barely under control as it was. This was a horrible situation and Grisha was not being fair on his wife or son. Levi…Levi felt like he deserved all of it. However, the other man looked like he was getting ready to fire up again.

"I'm getting a coffee." The words were quick, he wanted Grisha to tend to his wife's worries, not his anger.

"Either of you want anything?" Carla nodded, looking appreciative.

"Tea please, strong with just a little sugar." Levi nodded and turned to Grisha.  
"No, thank you." He could hear him speak through gritted teeth.  
Levi nodded again and left, running his hand through his hair again. All he could hope was for a few moments to speak to Eren today, tomorrow he was back to work and knowing the love of his life was lying in a hospital bed would not make that easy to deal with.  
After a little searching, he found the hospital café and sat after ordering his coffee. He took out his phone and tapped Erwin's name. He rarely called Erwin, when he did, Erwin picked up quickly. This was no exception.

"_Levi, strange to hear from you at this hour. Or at all. What's wrong?"  
_  
"Eren's in hospital." The audible gasp from the other end of the phone encouraged him to explain and he did. By the end of it, he felt the weight had lifted. He spared no detail, especially when it came to his feelings on himself.

"_That is horrible, truly horrible." _Levi didn't need to be there to know Erwin was shaking his head. But the blonde interrupted his thoughts.

"_I hope you realize this isn't your fault. He has managed himself in the past, you had no reason to worry something could happen. This isn't on you. It just happened after you had seen him."  
_  
Levi let out a long breath.

"I know that. I do. I know that but somehow I feel like I've failed him." He took a sip of the coffee that had arrived midway through his explanation.

"_You're there for him now, this is when he needs it. More than his father, it seems. Don't dwell on it, just do everything you can do for him now. That's all you can do."  
_  
Levi nodded, forgetting Erwin couldn't see him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"_He'll be fine, Levi. Have some faith."  
_  
"I'll do my best. I'm going to get back to the room, I'll keep you updated."

He waited a moment.

"Thanks Erwin, I appreciate this chat."

"_No problem. Stay safe." _With that, he hung up and collected Carla's tea before heading back to the room.  
Grisha was missing when he entered.

"Sorry for taking so long. I thought I'd give you two time to talk."

He crossed the room to Carla, who was back in her chair.

"I'm sorry for how he treats you. It's not fair but he's closed minded. Given his profession, you'd imagine he'd be a little kinder, wouldn't you." It wasn't really a question, more of a confirmation. She looked solemn and he realized she may have been talking to Eren.

"Levi, I'm sorry. He's not going to be kinder."

"I know. He doesn't like me, that is understandable given Eren's situation right now."

"No, he doesn't like you because you're…like Eren."

Levi's eyes narrowed. She couldn't mean…

"Because I'm gay?" She nodded and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry, he was never very accepting of Eren either, they just avoided it. Now, he's confronted with a situation where he is with you, Eren's partner. Someone he doesn't approve of."  
Levi thought it over. No one had ever had an issue with his sexuality. He didn't know how to react.

"Should I…leave? Only visit when he's not here?"

Carla's eyes met his. They were so similar to Eren's.

"I don't want that to be the case, but it might be best for you. You won't have to deal with him."

Levi nodded, but she spoke again before he could.

"I'll let you chat to him, I'll keep Grisha out until you're done." She stood and, as naturally as breathing, wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug and moved passed him.

"Thank you, Carla." She didn't reply, only nodded and he stepped forward, cupping Eren's cheek.

"I didn't know your father felt like that Eren. You must have had it tough. I'm sorry, I didn't know. No one has ever treated me like that." He sighed and leaned forward to kiss Eren's forehead.

"I hope you wake up soon. I miss you. I won't be able to be here as often as I would like, but your mom will be, she's the best person to be here for you now, especially with your father acting as he is. But I promise you…" he moved his hand down to grasp Eren's hand. "I promise you, Eren, with everything I have in me, my entire heart and soul, I **will **find out who did this to you. I swear I will get revenge for you. They deserve worse than what they've done to you. I will find them, I promise. You don't deserve this." He kissed Eren's head once more and allowed himself to breath in the scent of Eren's shampoo.

"I love you, Eren. I don't know if you can hear me, but I love you so much. Wake up soon." With that he left, and as he let the door click shut, allowing a long breath to pass his lips. This was going to be hard. Mikasa and Armin stood before him as he left.

"Uh, hey" Armin spoke first. "Any news on him?"

Levi shook his head.

"Nothing. His parents are around here too, they'll be happier to see you than me."

"How have they been?" Mikasa spoke now.

"His father is not my biggest fan. Carla is fine."

Armin smiled. "First name basis already?"

Levi returned the smile. "If it wasn't for the circumstances, I doubt it would happen."

He nodded sadly. Levi's smile faded.

"I can't be here when Eren's father is here. Just…keep me updated please."

"Of course." Mikasa was trying to be optimistic but the fear showed through her eyes.

"Okay, thank you. I'll see you two tomorrow."

His leave was hurried. He felt the tears coming, he didn't want them to see him this upset. The drive back to his home was spent close to tears, but it wasn't until he got through his door that he let them flow, and they didn't stop for hours.

The week passed slowly. Levi spent about an hour every day with Eren, talking to him about school, the classes, going so far as to tell him about Erwin and Hanji. Each visit ended with a kiss on the forehead and an "I love you" and this continued. It went on, and on, and on.  
He and Carla occasionally met for coffee, she kept him updated on what the doctors had been saying. Grisha hadn't changed his opinion of Levi. Every so often they saw one another and Grisha's gaze held nothing but contempt. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't change. He wasn't any closer to figuring out who had done this either.  
Every few nights, as he was lying on his bed, he would scroll to Eren's number, always tempted to call. He debated whether or not it was worth finding out if he would hear a voice on the other side. But every night was the same, he would switch off the screen, sigh and go to sleep. For the sixth Friday in a row, he lay there silently, hoping and wishing that tomorrow would be the day Eren woke up.  
The following morning went just as normal, breakfast, emails, hospital. Working through all of this had been hard, and their relationship was still a secret. Only Armin and Mikasa knew about them thus far, and it seemed the safest way.  
No matter how many times he saw Eren lying in that bed, the initial shock returned. He missed hearing his voice and seeing those green eyes fill with hope every time their eyes met.

"Hey." The words broke painful silence. "You've missed a lot. Armin got 90% on a test, I've never seen him so devastated." Levi smiled.

But before he could speak again, the door opened. Levi turned, expecting Carla. Normally she knew when he was here and would ensure his time with Eren was spent alone. Today, this was not the case. Instead, he was met with the mud coloured eyes of Grisha Jeager. The silence suffocated them. He nodded at the older man.

"Doctor Jeager."

Grisha glared. Clearly Levi could not speak with Eren alone today.

"I was just leaving."

Grisha remained silent, merely glaring at the smaller man. The awkwardness was heavy, and out of habit, Levi twirled his phone over in his pocket. He heard the unlock sound and stopped as the phone let out a small ring noise. Had he pocket dialled someone?  
There was a single note and that was all it took. Levi knew that tone, he had heard it so many times in the class. He had confiscated that very phone on so many occasions.

The shrill notes of Eren's ringtone sang from Grisha's pocket. He felt his face pale and his fists tighten. Grisha's lack of emotional response, his mysterious lack of appearance on the night of Eren's attack, and the fact that he was homophobic. Now he had Eren's phone, the one thing they couldn't find, the one thing they knew was in Eren's possession alone.  
Levi's body shook with fury, unbelievable violent rage, more than he had ever felt in the past.

Grisha had beaten his own son into a coma.


	18. Chapter 18

First of all, I want to say I am so so sorry for how late this chapter is, I have been so busy with college work, it has been insane. Also, I apologise for the shorter than usual length, I promise to try my best to be back on my game soon!

* * *

Levi felt waves of anger pulse through him. His first instinct was to protect Eren. He moved to stand between Grisha and the bed.

"That's Eren's ringtone."

Grisha's eyes narrowed as walked towards the smaller man. He stood close, too close for Levi's comfort, he could smell stale alcohol. Levi wasn't backing down. No matter how Grisha tried to intimidate him, he was prepared to stand and defend the one he loved the most.

"Why did you think I was coming here? It's been ringing nonstop at home."

It was Levi's turn to frown. He knew Eren had that phone when he left Levi's apartment. He considered the options. If he accused Grisha now, no matter how overwhelming the evidence, he could encourage the man to be more violent, maybe even to hurt Eren more. He needed to make sure that didn't happen. But he needed to know for sure if Grisha was guilty. This was big but he needed something more. He realized how long he had been silent, Grisha was looking at him questioningly.

"Good, I was worried he lost it on his way back when…well…" He still couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Knowing what he knew now changed everything. He shook his head and stepped around Grisha.

"I'm going to get a coffee, do you want anything?" He said it automatically, just as he always did with Carla. Grisha shook his head stiffly. Levi merely nodded in response, and the moment he left the room, he opened up his contacts and scrolled until he saw the name he needed. He pressed the phone to his ear, his anger still refusing to subside. The ringing wasn't helping. But then…

"_Hey Levi, what's up?"  
_  
"Farlan, we need to talk."

The drive to Farlan and Isabel's house was long, they lived outside of town in a nice two bedroom bungalow. It suited them. The two had been so wild through school and college, seeing them settled in a pleasant little neighbourhood was nice. That being said, they still had all their old contacts, and their jobs were not the most typical. That was why Levi had decided to contact them. The two could help. He settled in their comfortable little kitchen, filled with flowers, dark wood and warm light. With the sun beating into the room, Levi was more comfortable than he had been in so long. It was like home away from home for him. Isabel's cooking reminded me of his mother's, Farlan's tea could not be rivalled and the soft fur of their small ginger cat pressing itself against Levi's leg, it was all comforting him.  
Isabel sat herself down opposite him and beside Farlan. She nodded, encouraging him to explain.  
He took a deep breath.  
In a few minutes, he summed up the situation. He watched their changing reaction and their eventual grimace at his explanation of Eren's condition.

"But what happened to him?" Isabel looked particularly worried.

"I…" he took a breath "I think it was his father. He had his phone and I know Eren left with it. If he didn't get home, how else would Grisha have it?" he shook his head. The thought of Grisha doing that to his own son disturbed him.

"So, where do we come in?" Farlan finally spoke, looking angry. His experiences with his father were less than desirable, he felt for Eren right now.

"I'm not sure. Could you follow him maybe?" He looked between them and they glanced at each other. He noticed a look of silent agreement pass between them.

"Okay, we can do it. It will take time. It can be done though." Farlan glanced at Isabel.

"Levi…" Isabel spoke. "…what will you do if it's him?"

Levi stopped for a moment. Did he know what he wanted to become of Grisha if he was as guilty as he thought? He did. He wanted to beat him, tirelessly, to a disgusting, bloody pulp. He wanted to torture him, turn him into a pile of blood and bruises, barely recognisable to even those closest to him. But he thought of Carla. What would she think? She would hate Grisha for this, but he was still her husband, she loved him. Could she love him after this? This was not just some little scuffle. This was her son in a coma. This was her only son lying in a hospital bed, not knowing whether he would wake up was wearing her out, he saw it in her every time they spoke. Dark circles, distant fake laughter, the pain when she looked at him. She told him she wanted the abuser to pay. Would that really include her own husband?

"I honestly don't know. Carla needs to be considered. Sure she wants whoever did this to pay, but I don't know if that really includes her husband. I guess no one considered him as someone who would do this. The man is a doctor, maybe not on a hospital level, but he's still a doctor. He should still be trusted to not, you know…beat his own son into a coma." Farlan nodded and Levi sipped tea. This was not normal. He didn't need this, who could have seen this coming, who could honestly have expected this? A few months ago, his concern was getting caught with Eren, now his concern was whether or not he would live. It was hard to believe the difference in their relationship. No. It was borderline impossible. Even though he saw Eren in that bed, he still didn't really accept it. It felt like this long, drawn out nightmare. One that made everything but his relationship fine.

He didn't notice he was crying until he saw the tears pooling on the table. But it was a long time coming. All the stress, the fear, the utter heartbreak that had consumed him, but not in the way he thought it would. This situation was always cold, it was ice that captured the heart and shattered the resolve. But it wasn't, it was fire. It was hot, burning, lasting torment. You could adjust to the pain, you could accept it and embrace it to dull it, but it never left. And in the moments when it seems to lighten, the moments when the brightness of ones only torture is overcome by the bright light that lay at the end of the long tunnel of pain, the pain would ignite, sear up in ways that were long forgotten, the light would disappear and the only brightness that would remain would be that which lit one's soul with the agony that was love and heartache.

He felt his friends arms around him and he knew he was safe. No matter how scary and unpredictable everything was right now, he had stability. No matter what happened, he had his small home with them. It may not have been literal, but the comfort and warmth was there, the unconditional and sweet love of family smothered him and it was all he really needed at this moment.

A little while later, Levi found himself in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Loneliness had taken over again, and somehow the feelings had gotten worse. It was sour and empty and it wasn't going away. Could Isabel and Farlan find anything? If they did, what could he do? Could he really face Grisha for this? Could he contain his anger if it turned out to be true? Rolling to his side, Levi did what only seemed natural. He called Erwin.

He barely had the kettle boiled when he heard four spaced out knocks on his door.

"It's open"

The large blonde let himself in, holding a brown paper bag with a curiously familiar smell.

"I brought Chinese, I feel like you've been putting off food, you've lost weight."

He had noticed it himself. His regular evening attire of grey sweatpants and a tank top hung from him in a way that made the weight loss more obvious. Erwin knew the apartment as if it were his own, and out of habit, he chose two plates from the cupboard and separated their individual portions onto them.

"Any news on Eren?" Erwin's voice was thick with something Levi didn't recognise.

"No. I think that Grisha did it." The admission shocked Erwin.

"What?"

"He had Eren's phone, Erwin. There's no sense in it. He had that phone when he left my house and didn't have it by the time we found him. There's no other explanation, he said it was in the house, but I know he had it, I know he did, I know-" He was stopped by Erwin's arm wrapping around his shoulders. He curled into the larger man's touch out of habit and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"He'll be fine, Levi." Erwin pulled him closer and rested his head on top of Levi's.

"I miss him, Erwin." He felt Levi nuzzle closer. "I miss having someone to be close to…" the way Levi tilted his chin made Erwin wonder. He missed company but surely not…

"Come on, let's eat"

Aside from the bad movie in the background, they ate in silence. Not uncomfortable silence though, it was nice, Levi appreciated the company. He felt himself sliding towards Erwin's shoulder. He took the plate before he could allow himself to. As he washed up, he thought about what he wanted. He wanted some warmth and just…company for one night. Not sex, he didn't even want to kiss Erwin, he just wanted some semblance of warmth and affection. He had never had to ask him. It just happened, maybe it could be that way now. He would just convince him to stay, just like always. When he sat down next to Erwin, he felt himself drift slowly to the side. Until his head bumped against Erwin's shoulder, he met no resistance. However, Erwin knew better.

"Levi, no."

"Erwin, please."

"Levi, he's not gone."

The words stung, but he nodded.

"I know, I just…I need something. I miss company and warmth and I just…please Erwin…" Levi looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. He sighed.

"Levi, I can't be his replacement."

"Let's just make it like before, not a replacement, I just need some kind of affection, I miss him."

Erwin sighed and glanced around the room. There was no shame in helping his friend, right?

"Wouldn't Eren be uncomfortable with this arrangement?" Levi considered it for a moment. Would he be okay with this, he would understand Levi's needs, wouldn't he?

"Erwin…" the awkwardness was shattered by a loud ringing. Levi's phone. He picked it up quickly, Carla Jeager flashed across the screen.

"Carla, hi." Erwin's eyes widened and he stared as Levi nodded, mouth dropping open. He jumped up and grabbed his keys, barely managing to slip on his shoes before grabbing the door handle. Erwin followed, ready to grab Levi before he left without an explanation.

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

Erwin looked at him in a way that asked about what had happened.

The shorter man, however, had no interest in sharing the information he had received and he was out the door before Erwin could stop him.


	19. Chapter 19

I apologise for the shortness of this chapter, but it is necessary unfortunately! This is the second last chapter, just as a warning. I've had such a lovely journey with all of you guys but unfortunately, we've got to end somewhere. Please enjoy!

* * *

Despite how ready Erwin thought he had been to catch Levi, the smaller man was gone. He cursed under his breath at his friends rashness and pulled on his shoes. Levi would surely be at his car by now and by the sounds of the conversation, would be driving far faster than would be advised. Erwin thought over the possibilities. Why would Levi leave so quickly? Had Eren woken up? He smiled at the thought but his mind immediately took him to dark places. What if Eren had taken a turn for the worse? He frowned. It wasn't what he should be thinking but he knew he had to prepare for the worst. He pulled his coat on and left to follow his friend.

Levi was somehow unsurprised that traffic would be this bad on the one night he needed to get to the hospital quickly. He was tapping the steering wheel absentmindedly as Carla's words swirled in his head. He kept glancing expectantly at his phone in the passenger seat.

Finally, traffic moved again, and cleared before he could get stuck in the same place for too long more.

He thought over the last six weeks, waking up every morning with both optimism and heartache filling him to the brim. He woke up wondering if this would be the day Carla would tell him that Eren had woken up, that he woke up and asked for him immediately, that he could finally rush to the boy's side and feel his lips after waiting so long. He wanted to hear him ask about his friends and his mom. About everything he had missed. About what had happened to him. He wanted to help Eren move past this, he wanted to support him; no matter what he needed to help, Levi would provide it. He wanted to provide everything for Eren now. Warmth, comfort, love, protection, a home. Yes, that's where it was going. That's what he wanted. Carla wouldn't be happy, but Eren would if he woke up. To have a home with Eren. Levi sighed. The thought filled him with joy, but what if that was not possible.

Levi always knew the possibility was there that he would wake up to another phone call. One brimmed with Carla's sobs and broken words of how he hadn't made it, at how her only son died for nothing but some unknown fool's wicked ways, at his own father's intolerant ones. New images flashed in his mind, a funeral, Carla sobbing on her son's now murderer, Armin, Mikasa, Eren's classmates and companions, far too young to be watching their friends' final bed sink into the ground. He could hear them trying to give speeches through sobs, grasping at each other for some kind of reprieve from truly telling how much they loved their dear friend, how he would be missed, how he didn't deserve this. He could see Armin wrapped under Jean's arm and Mikasa under Marco's, the taller of each couple mumbling quiet comfort that could not possibly help, but that they would allow to help for now, until they were alone, when the tears and anguish would resurface. In the midst of it all, he would still be seen as just Eren's teacher. His tears could not be as justified as his friends to them. To them, he only taught Eren. As far as they were concerned, the two didn't get along at all. They wouldn't understand that Levi's own heart was as broken as theirs, that he too needed someone to hold and to hear words of comfort that wouldn't stop long, sleepless, tear-filled nights of loneliness.

The images were still fresh in his mind, thoughts of Grisha and maybe even his friends, gripping Eren, throwing him to the ground. Why would he think he was in any danger with his father so close? Why would he _expect _something like this from the man who raised him and took care of him when he needed it most? His knuckles turned white around the steering wheel and even though the hospital was in sight, Levi would hold that anger. If he lost it, it would mean losing sight of what he wanted. He wanted revenge. Even if it was Grisha, he wanted the vile creature brought to justice. They had hurt the one he had loved the most and deserved to pay.

Even if it was Grisha.

He knew Carla might hate him if he hurt Grisha, he was her husband. But surely, deep down, she would agree, she would insist that he deserved it as much as Levi believed. He shouldn't get away with something like this. Carla could drop her love in a second. As he pulled into the parking space, he let his head fall back against the headrest. After a few deep breaths, he realized he had forgotten to tell Erwin what was happening.

Erwin was already in his car when his phone rang. He pulled over upon seeing Levi's name. Before he could put the phone to his ear properly after swiping the screen, Levi was talking. He only heard mumbling at the distance and Eren's name.

"…so I'm at the hospital" he sounded like he was rushing.

"Wait, what happened?"

He heard Levi groan. "Just get to the damn hospital, okay?" He heard the faint beeping of Levi's line finishing, and worry stirred in his gut. Surely Eren hadn't…

Levi wanted to run, desperately, but he knew he'd be thrown out. Despite the anxious flurry in his stomach, he rushed as quickly as socially acceptable, down the corridors he had become so familiar with. He grimaced at that fact. He never wanted to be able to say he was familiar with somewhere so sterile and negative, a space that held healers and miracles but at the same time, heartbreak and loneliness. He stopped outside the door he had met with on so many evenings, had closed through tears and anger. He took a deep breath and a nurse greeted him as she passed. He nodded. Even the nurses knew him. He heard Carla sobbing inside, and with that, he let himself in.

Erwin's heart pounded as he finally reached the hospital. Levi had messaged him the room number just after their phone call, he just didn't know what to expect. He was prepared for both, maybe slightly less prepared for one outcome. He could comfort Levi or be happy that his Eren was back. He would be there for him no matter what, he may not be fully prepared though.  
After some mild confusion, Erwin found his way to Eren's room. He heard Carla sobbing and speaking all together. Fear froze its way through his torso, right over his heart. He raised his fist, taking a deep breath.  
Knock. Knock…Knock.  
The door swung open and he was greeted to Levi's tear stained cheeks and puffy red eyes.

"Erwin! "The small man gripped him around the waist and tugged him into a tight hug.

"Erwin…" As if the act of touching him forced Levi into believing he was truly present, he began sobbing into the older's chest as Erwin wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him for all he was worth.  
_No, not this, he doesn't deserve this. He has suffered so much, don't take this from him._

The words echoed through Erwin's mind until Levi's sobs had quietened and he looked up once again with tear filled eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

"Erwin…" Levi was hoarse by now, clearly he had been crying for a while. Erwin kept his arms wrapped around Levi's shoulders.

"He's awake."

Erwin felt his mouth open but couldn't speak. Why hadn't he just told him earlier?

"I tried to tell you on the phone but you didn't hear. I was kind of in a rush to talk to him, the nurse is checking him over now. Most of his injuries have healed. He's better, Erwin, he's sitting up and talking." For the first time in six weeks, Levi smiled at him. An honest, true smile filled with happiness, hope, relief, and, what Erwin saw the most, love. Genuine, pure, true love. His gut backflipped and he held Levi's shoulder to push him back.

"Then why are you hugging me, when you could be hugging him?" Erwin's smile was sincere, but maybe not entirely so. But Levi saw nothing. He nodded and returned to Carla's side, gripping her shoulder.

"Carla, this is Erwin. He's a dear friend of mine; he's been keeping me going this past while." He ushered Erwin forward, and he took Carla's extended hand.

"Thank you for helping him, Erwin. God knows we both needed it!" she laughed lightly, and he could tell it was a first in a while for her too. Erwin smiled at her.

"What are friends for?" at that, he glanced at Levi. "Would either of you like a coffee? Tea maybe?" They both nodded. Levi didn't have to tell him, he knew how Levi took his tea, Carla recited her coffee order and Erwin left.

Just as he exited, two nurses were wheeling Eren's bed back in, followed by Nile.

"Well Mrs. Jeager, Mr. Ackerman, he has made a full recovery. It's amazing what the human body can do, isn't it?" At those words, Carla started crying again. Tears of uncontaminated joy. Nile merely nodded and smiled. However, she was embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry" the words were so unclear, but they knew what she meant. "I'm just so happy"

"I understand. If any of my kids was in this position, I would be just like you. We will be keeping him for another few days, we have to keep an eye on him. But everything seems in perfect order, now just to catch up." Nile smiled and nodded as he and the two nurses left. Carla gripped Eren's hand and squeezed it.

"Eren. Eren Eren Eren." Her tears started again. "I'm so sorry, I just…" her words were undecipherable and she tried to excuse herself for a moment.  
"No." Eren's first word since he came back into the room. She looked at him, confused. Levi shared her uncertainty. "Mom, did they find who did this?"

She shook her head slowly. "We were waiting to see if you remembered anything before we brought it up."

"Dad."

"He's on his way from work." She smiled, and Eren's face paled.  
"Mom no, no no, he did this. It was dad that hit me, him, his friend, they just…" Eren began shaking, but pushed her hand away. "Mom, they beat me, they kicked me, punched me, they did everything, one guy…" Eren looked embarrassed, no, disgusted. "…he shoved his penis in my mouth…they…" Eren started sniffling, wiping his eyes with his non drip-occupied hand. "They did this because I'm gay." Carla's jaw was slack and in a moment it was stiff. Her teeth ground together. Levi was furious but somehow, when he saw her, he knew his anger couldn't match hers.

"You're sure it was him?"

"Yes, I begged him to stop mom…" Eren looked at the sheets, looking almost sorry for betraying his father.

Levi took out his phone and sent a quick message to Farlan and Isabel.

_Eren woke up. Said Grisha and friends did it._

He tucked his phone away and reached to grip Eren's hand.

"He will pay for this, Eren." It was the first time their eyes met since he came back in. "We will make sure of it."  
"I will make sure of it myself." Carla looked almost demonic. Her left hand gripped the sheets hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. Her jaw was still clenched. Levi's phone buzzed.

_We got footage with his friends talking about it. They were bragging in a bar amongst themselves. Been passed on to a cop who is willing to accept that as evidence and encourage the force over. Does Carla know?_  
Levi tapped out a response, ignoring Eren's questioning gaze.

_Yes, she's furious. Thanks guys, owe you one.  
_He set his phone back, intent on focusing on Eren. He ran his thumb over the back of Eren's hand and opened his mouth to speak.

Just as the door opened.

They all stiffened and turned.

"Sorry I took so long, the queue was packed" Erwin walked in, balancing a tea and two coffees in a holder. He set it down on Eren's locker.

"Good to see you awake Eren, I've heard so much about you." Erwin smiled and Eren nodded, clearly oblivious. "Sorry, I'm Erwin, a friend of Levi's." Eren nodded again.

Carla's jaw was still tense, and even thought she was drinking her coffee, she was gripping her cup just a little too hard.

"Mom, you're going to burn yourself…"

She looked down and shook her head, placing the coffee back on the holder.

"Sorry, dear. I am just so angry right now. I can't believe he would do this to you…"

"What are you going to do?"

At that moment, only one thing rang true.

Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.

Grisha walked in the door, and before Erwin, Eren or Levi could stop her, Carla was on her feet.

Somehow, he ignored it.

"Eren, you're awake."

"You BASTARD!" Carla was marching across the room to him, and a confused look crossed his face. "You think you can just walk back in here like nothing happened?! You are disgusting, you're vile, disgusting, horrible, how dare you?!" The final question was punctuated with a loud slap as her hand connected with Grisha's cheek. "Get out, get out of this room, and out of my house. If I ever see you again, I swear I will not hesistate to murder you."

"Carla what are you talking about?" He looked furious, and the first place he looked was Levi.

"What am I talking about?! I am talking about you beating-no, assaulting our son! He almost died, Grisha! And you could have lived with it! You would have been content, that's who you are, you're disgusting, you're pure evil! You almost killed your own son!" Carla's screeching had drawn some attention with a nurse poking her head in the door. Erwin stepped back. "Excuse me for a moment." He slipped out while the two resumed their fight.

"We're through, you're nothing but scum and I want you out of my house and out of my life! We are getting a divorce!" Her screams bounced off the walls, and Levi suddenly understood why people feared mother bears.

"Carla, please, calm down, you're wrong."

"No, she's not. I remember everything." Eren finally spoke, though his face was white with utter terror. "I remember you and your friends and I told her."

"You brat-"  
Another slap filled the silence.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to my son like that!" Grisha's temper finally took over and he gripped Carla's wrists.

"No! He is the disgusting one! Do you know what he does?! He lets that man fuck him, he sucks dick, he is everything that is wrong!"

Levi rose as Carla wriggled in his grasp.

"He's wrong? You beat your own son into a coma, you cowardly filth! You think he's wrong for who he loves yet you can justify putting him into a coma? You're sick. You're sick, and twisted, you don't deserve a son, you don't deserve to live!"  
At that moment, she got free of his grasp, and somehow, as if it had been set up, she turned and grabbed the black coffee that had been forgotten and threw it at Grisha. He screamed in response to the burning liquid.  
"Get out!" with her final scream, the door opened, and three police officers filed in, followed by Erwin.

"Grisha Jeager, you're under arrest for Grievous Bodily Harm upon Eren Jeager." As the police cuffed Grisha, Erwin made his way to Levi.

"How…?"

"I called them when I left, I knew it was needed."

Levi looked up at Erwin with silent thanks and he nodded in return. Carla who had returned to her normal state, joined them.

"I am so sorry you had to see that."

"That was pretty amazing, mom." Eren spoke from behind them.

"He deserved it…and more." She shook her head. "He has been arrested and there's proof, it's fine, he will get what he deserves."

Months later, after a long trial and a lot of counselling for Eren, he did get what he deserved. 8 years in prison. No one would be able to bail him out either. In a separate trial brought up against the men who had joined him, Farlan and Isabel had provided enough evidence to the questionable police officer that they had also been convicted with sentences between 6 and 8 years. The officer herself, a wonderful person named Hanji Zoe(Levi should have known she'd get in somehow) managed to convince her superiors of their crimes and they were held to trial with Farlan and Isabel giving evidence and Eren to identify them.

After the conviction of his father, however, Eren was still unsure about moving home. These past months living with Levi had been so comforting, and the friendship between his boyfriend and his mother made life easier.

The day after the sentencing, Mikasa and Armin came over. They had yet to tell him about many of the things that had happened while he was in a coma. They gathered around Levi's living room coffee table with cups of tea, just like before.

"What happened with you and Annie?" Mikasa looked at him rather blankly.  
"Annie and I stopped with our experimenting and just told the guys we liked that we liked them. She and Berthold are doing pretty well under Reiner's watchful eye." Mikasa smiled at the thought.

"And you? Who did you like?"

"Marco Bodt."  
Eren's jaw dropped.

"What? No way! That…that's so random! "  
"Not really, he's a nice guy and we had history together. He's smart, attractive and…well I like freckles." She shrugged. "But Armin has better news."

Armin blushed at the statement.

"Mikasa…"

"What is it, Armin? Is it Jean, what did he do?" Eren was already frowning

"No! No, it's nothing like that!" Armin attempted to calm his friend, who waited for the explanation.

"W-well, we're fine, great, very very extremely good…" Armin twisted his hands beneath the table and Eren raised an eyebrow. Mikasa was smirking however.

"This is still new information Armin, you promised to tell him everything."

"Well...we…he…" Armin took a breath. "Jean proposed to me last week"

"WHAT?!" Eren's hands slammed against the table.

"Yeah, he even gave me a ring!" Armin gushed, shoving his left hand across the table.

"We've been living together for a while, and will be continuing when we start college." Armin beamed.  
"I…Armin I am so happy for you!" Eren ran around the small table to give Armin a tight hug.

"Now my news is boring." Mikasa chuckled.

Eren stopped. His friends were so happy now. And he was happy too. He smiled again and pulled them both in for a hug.

"I love you guys."

A few hours later, Eren was at the over, glancing in on the chicken when he heard the door click. For a moment he panicked, that wasn't uncommon nowadays. Then a voice rang through the halls.

"Honey, I'm – What are you cooking, it smells delicious?" Levi strolled into the room, draping his coat over the back of the chair and joining Eren.

"S'just chicken." Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and kissed his head.

"Good, I like your chicken. How was your day?" Levi pecked his cheek lightly before moving to set the table.

"Good, I found out Mikasa and Marco are going out and Armin is engaged!"

"Oh, what, no way." The sarcasm was strong in Levi's voice but Eren could see him smirking.

"I'm the last to know, aren't I?"

"Pretty much. But to be fair, you've been busy."

In silence, they set the table and set food onto plates. It had become comfortable here.

Even as they ate, they barely spoke, conversation waited until after dinner every night.

By the time, they were curled up on the couch watching some random soap that had come on, Levi had his head on Eren's chest and Eren's fingers played idly with Levi's hair.

"You need a hair cut."

"Sure thing, wife." His speech was muffled. Eren chuckled.  
"Not yet."

"Eventually though." Eren shivered at the thought.

"Hey Eren?"  
"Mmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Levi."


	21. Sequel info

A **huge** thank you to everyone who has liked, followed and favourited this story! You guys have made the experience amazing, so I wanted to let all of you know that there is a sequel! It's called "Second Lessons", it can be found here ( s/11064062/1/Second-Lessons ) and I hope you all enjoy!


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